Free shaping

Free shaping is a dog-training technique designed to get the dog thinking: the goal is for the dog to offer behaviours. The number-one tool is the clicker, a small device that makes a “click” when you press the button. It marks a behaviour: when the dog does what you want, you click and reward. It’s used because it lets you mark the moment very precisely, then take your time delivering the reward. Dogs quickly associate the click with something good.

Charging the clicker

The clicker has to be conditioned so the dog understands what it means. It’s simple: stand in front of your dog, click, then reward. About ten repetitions is usually enough. Then ask for something simple, click when your dog does it, and reward. Often the first exercise is saying the dog’s name, waiting for eye contact, and marking it.

Shaping, not luring

Free shaping is not the same as luring: the dog has to think and offer the behaviour itself. You can break a movement into steps. To teach “down”, for example, the first step might be looking at the floor, then lowering the head, then lying down.

I recommend the book When Pigs Fly to understand how to work with a dog that isn’t biddable. I started free shaping after reading it, with my second Basenji, and it was night and day: the dog trained this way thinks things through, is calmer in training, understands faster and learns more complex tricks. It can take longer to teach… but it’s better to learn a behaviour slowly and well than too fast without understanding what’s being asked.