behavior
Capturing (training)
When capturing beats luring or shaping
- Behaviors that are awkward to lure (a sneeze, a yawn, a head tilt, lying flat on one side).
- Behaviors you don't want hand-prompt dependence on (default settles, polite greetings).
- Naturally occurring behaviors you want on cue (stretch, shake-off, paw-lift).
The simple process
- Pick a frequent behavior. (If it only happens once a week, capturing isn't the right tool.)
- Have treats ready. Click the instant it happens, treat within 2 seconds.
- After ~30 successful captures, predict and add the cue just before the behavior happens.
- Once the dog reliably performs on cue, only reward cued versions, fading the captures of uncued occurrences.
Why it matters
Captured behaviors are some of the most reliable behaviors a dog ever learns, because the dog discovered them rather than being prompted into them. A captured "settle on the mat" tends to hold up better in distracting environments than a lured one.
Frequently asked questions
- How long until the cue is reliable?
- Highly behavior-dependent. Frequent behaviors (sit, lie down) can be on cue in days. Rare behaviors (sneeze on cue) can take weeks because you wait for the offering.
- Does capturing only work with a clicker?
- No, but the timing precision a clicker gives matters more in capturing than in any other technique, because you're marking a behavior the dog didn't expect to be reinforced.