Dr Ian Dunbar's UK tour 2024

This seminar is a game-changer for dog professionals and dog owners alike. Off-lead, Lure-Reward Training is lightning fast, soooo easy, and incredibly effective — producing reliable results quicker than any other reward-based (or aversion-based) training technique. By initially training off-lead in safe places, you can avoid difficult and time-consuming transition from on-lead to off-lead: you just attach a lead to your trained dog. Moreover, since off-lead responses are verbally cued from the outset, the effectiveness and speed of training may be objectively quantified from the outset, and every step of the way, offering owners and trainers proof of progress, and making dog training truly Science-Based.

Lure-Reward training is the only training technique that quickly phases out the necessity of training tools (food lures and food rewards), so that food does not become a bribe. It is pointless to have your dog's responsiveness contingent on you having food in your hand, or on your person, (or for that matter, your dog being on lead, or wearing specialised collars, halters, or harnesses.)

Since Lure-Reward Training produces reliable results so quickly, the techniques are entirely suitable for competitive off-lead trials and for dogs off-lead at home. For many dog owners, getting quick results is the name of the game. Also, who would have guessed that dog training could be this easy, and so much FUN!

Simply put, Lure-Reward Training is the easiest, quickest, and most effective way to produce reliable results. We always train off-lead to monitor the dog's consent — that they are happy to play the training game with us, and via a three-step process, we build a workable vocabulary to use as instructions (prior to task) and verbal guidance to get dogs quickly back on track when they misbehave or fail to comply.

1. TEACH Dogs ESL — the meaning of the words we use as instructions, TEST the dog's level of comprehension and motivation and then, go cold-turkey on food in the hand in the first session.

2. MOTIVATE Dogs to the Max — by reducing the number of food rewards (to increase their reinforcing power), and primarily using much more powerful life rewards and more effective reinforcement schedules.

3. PROOF for Off-lead Reliability — by using ongoing verbal feedback (instructions, guidance and praise) to effectively resolve non-compliance, and usually just a single, comprehended word to terminate most misbehaviours, for example, Sit, Shush, Settle, Steady, Chewtoy, Outside, Off. etc. When your dog misbehaves, always tell them specifically how you would like them to act; it's the easiest way for your dog to learn.​

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