Joined
·
13,204 Posts
The answer is obvious but not what most people think of. and that is teaching the dog to touch your hand with it nose. ie hand targeting.
just by teaching hand targeting you have a recall, you can move the dog in a non confrontational way anywhere you want. You can walk without a leash. and because there is never just one cue you can teach it beconmes the basis for teach many other obedience behaviors and cue, Just think your hand become a lure without hving to have food in it how cool is that. Think how handy that is in training other behaviors.
![]()
Click this bar to view the full image.
![]()
hand targeting with mariah warming up exercise before and agility run
it is very easy to teach. Hold out had in fron of dogs nose an inch or two at most dog will reach out to smell when it touches your hand with nose click treat resist urge to move your hand toward dog. This goes quick. Feed with hand that is not target If dog start being attrated to the had with food even better as now you are disctraction training as well. Switch hand a repeat starting from the begining. as you prgress move hand farther from the dog change the postion in relationship to dog little higher little lower left right, When the behavior is strong you can use the target to move the dog it follows your hand,
You can morph the hand target to antoher opject like a plastic lid. Start off with putting the lid in you hand dog touches lid click etc slowly work closer to the ground floor until the back hand is on the ground then place lid by it self on the ground. Once that behavior is strong delay clicking for a single touch and require two multiple touches work on decreasing latency see links above. The lid becaome a target you can use to train distance work having the dog go out. Teaching the dog to go to a mat but the target on the mat send dog to target etc. it a potent tool to have.
Target Training Get your dog in the position YOU want!
Dog Obedience Training through Targeting
This seemingly frivolous behavior has numerous practical applications
Targeting means teaching your dog to touch a designated body part to a designated location. Nose targeting is most commonly taught, but it can also be trained with a front or hind paw, a hip or shoulder, even an ear or tail! The designated target can also be anything imaginable, including the palm of your hand or your closed fist, a finger, target stick, spot on the wall or door, or just about any object you choose to ask your dog to target to.
...It’s ridiculously easy to teach. We start in our classes by having the dog target to his owner’s hand, since that doesn’t require yet another piece of equipment to juggle along with clicker, treats, and leash.
Teach Hand Targeting to Dogs
included video
shaping a noes touch to a plate
just by teaching hand targeting you have a recall, you can move the dog in a non confrontational way anywhere you want. You can walk without a leash. and because there is never just one cue you can teach it beconmes the basis for teach many other obedience behaviors and cue, Just think your hand become a lure without hving to have food in it how cool is that. Think how handy that is in training other behaviors.
hand targeting with mariah warming up exercise before and agility run
it is very easy to teach. Hold out had in fron of dogs nose an inch or two at most dog will reach out to smell when it touches your hand with nose click treat resist urge to move your hand toward dog. This goes quick. Feed with hand that is not target If dog start being attrated to the had with food even better as now you are disctraction training as well. Switch hand a repeat starting from the begining. as you prgress move hand farther from the dog change the postion in relationship to dog little higher little lower left right, When the behavior is strong you can use the target to move the dog it follows your hand,
You can morph the hand target to antoher opject like a plastic lid. Start off with putting the lid in you hand dog touches lid click etc slowly work closer to the ground floor until the back hand is on the ground then place lid by it self on the ground. Once that behavior is strong delay clicking for a single touch and require two multiple touches work on decreasing latency see links above. The lid becaome a target you can use to train distance work having the dog go out. Teaching the dog to go to a mat but the target on the mat send dog to target etc. it a potent tool to have.
Target Training Get your dog in the position YOU want!
Dog Obedience Training through Targeting
This seemingly frivolous behavior has numerous practical applications
Even today, despite its usefulness, targeting is not a widely known behavior outside positive professional training and competition circles. When I introduce the concept in my basic good manners classes I get a sea of blank stares in response, as if each human client is thinking, “Why on earth would I want to teach my dog to do that?”
Targeting means teaching your dog to touch a designated body part to a designated location. Nose targeting is most commonly taught, but it can also be trained with a front or hind paw, a hip or shoulder, even an ear or tail! The designated target can also be anything imaginable, including the palm of your hand or your closed fist, a finger, target stick, spot on the wall or door, or just about any object you choose to ask your dog to target to.
...It’s ridiculously easy to teach. We start in our classes by having the dog target to his owner’s hand, since that doesn’t require yet another piece of equipment to juggle along with clicker, treats, and leash.
Teach Hand Targeting to Dogs
included video
shaping a noes touch to a plate
