Rewarding a behaviour the dog already does naturally, at the exact moment it happens, without luring or guiding.
Capturing is a training method where you reward a behaviour the dog already does naturally, right at the moment it happens. There's no luring and no gradual shaping involved. You simply wait for the behaviour to occur on its own, then mark and reward it.
It works well for behaviours that are hard to lure into, such as lying down flat on one side, sneezing on cue, or sitting calmly without being asked.
A common use is capturing a calm down position:
Because you're not influencing the dog's position at all, capturing depends on patience. You may need to wait several minutes, or set up the environment so the behaviour is more likely to happen, such as putting a bed nearby.
Marking too late is the biggest issue. If you mark after the dog has already stood back up, you risk rewarding the wrong moment. A fast marker word or clicker helps mark the instant the behaviour happens, even if the treat arrives a second or two later.
Anything the dog does naturally without prompting, such as sitting, lying down, sneezing, stretching, or shaking off. It doesn't work for behaviours the dog rarely or never offers on their own.
Often, yes, because you're waiting for the dog to offer the behaviour rather than guiding them into it. It can still be quick if the behaviour happens often, such as a dog who naturally sits a lot.
It's strongly recommended. A clear, consistent marker lets you reward the exact moment the behaviour happens, rather than after the dog has already moved on to something else.
Rewarding small steps towards a final behaviour, gradually raising the criteria until the dog performs the full thing.
Using a treat or toy to guide a dog into a position or movement, then fading the food out so the dog responds to a cue instead.
Using a specific sound or word to pinpoint the exact moment a dog does something worth rewarding, bridging the gap before the treat arrives.
