why I love free shaping

imogen053
Aug 27
2 min read

What is free shaping?

Free shaping is when you give your dog the chance to figure out what you want all by themselves. Instead of guiding them physically or luring them with food, you simply mark and reward the right choices. Over time, your dog learns to think, problem-solve, and confidently offer behaviours.

The Importance of Taking It Slow:

When free shaping, patience is everything. Rushing through steps often leads to confusion or frustration for your dog. The key is to break the behaviour down into tiny, achievable goals.

Let’s take an example: say your goal is for your dog to jump on top of a bench.

Step 1: Reward your dog for just looking at the bench.
Step 2: Reward a step toward the bench.
Step 3: Reward standing next to it.
Step 4: Reward a paw touching the bench.
And so on, until the final behaviour is achieved.

Each step might take several sessions to master — and that’s okay! Some stages may take longer than others. The more frequently you reward your dog, the more confident they’ll feel in trying new things. Remember, progress happens in baby steps.

Don’t expect a behaviour to be shaped perfectly in one session. Often, it takes a few weeks of short, regular practice to reach the final outcome.

Before You Begin:

To get the most out of free shaping, your dog should already have:

Food drive (motivation to work for food).
A terminal marker (a clear signal, like “yes” or a click, that marks the exact moment they’re correct).
A window of opportunity (a clear start cue so your dog knows when training begins).

Without these foundations, your dog may struggle to understand what’s expected.

When to Add a Cue:

I never name a behaviour until I absolutely love it. Why? Because once you put a word to it, it’s much harder to go back and tidy up sloppy bits. A behaviour should be consistent, polished, and clearly understood before you give it a cue. When I’m 100% happy, then I’ll name it.

The Benefits of Free Shaping:

Free shaping is one of my favourite training methods because it:

Removes the need to fade out lures (e.g. in heelwork).
Prevents reliance on constant food presentation — the dog learns to keep working until rewarded.
Builds incredible work ethic and focus.
Boosts passion for training.
Even increases food drive in some dogs!