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Target Training
Training your pet to target is lots of fun. The practical applications are many. It is a form of luring. I prefer to lure with a target so the pet is not distracted by food. Many pets lured with food also learn not to do the behavior if the food is not presented first. You can teach your pet to stay with you, come to hand when called, go to a specific place, stay in place, approach a scary object, and do fun tricks using a target.
To teach your pet to touch a target first you need to decide what you want to use as a target and what part of the pet you wish to touch the target. Some examples: The target can be anything, your hand, a stick, a margarine lid, clear plexiglas, a rug, a bell by the door, or anything else which is safe for your pet to touch. Your pet can learn to touch a target with their mouth, foot, collar, even their tail. You also need some rewards and a clicker.
First position the target so it is likely the pet will touch the target by accident. Do not chase the pet with the target. The point is not to teach the pet to tolerate being touched by the target. The point is to have the pet seek out the target to touch it. If your pet is afraid of the target, click and reward when your pet looks at the target a few times. Then wait before clicking for some movement towards the target. Keep on clicking for movement towards the target until the pet is touching the target. Click when the pet touches the target, then give the reward. Do this a few times until your pet is actively touching the target. Now start to move the target around, click and reward when the pet touches the target. Only move it an inch or two at first. Once your pet is moving to touch the target you can move the target further than just an inch. It does not matter if the target is on the ground or in your hand to start. Some pets have difficulty if you switch from the hand to the floor in one step. You may need to place the target on the floor leaving your hand touching the target, then slowly move your hand further and further away as your pet has success. Soon you will have your pet going across the room to touch the target. Touching the target is good to teach the recall, go-outs, contact zones, ring the bell to go out, and go to your mat.
Another way to use a target involves having your pet follow the target. To get your pet to follow the target first teach the pet to touch the target. Once your pet will touch the target move the target just as the pet is about to touch it. Click and reward for reaching to touch the target. Slowly increase the distance your pet must follow the target before you click. If your pet looks away from the target start over from your initial starting point, click sooner this time. It is important that your pet remain focused on the target when following it. Do not add speed until you get the focus happening with some duration. Following the target is good for teaching your pet to walk on a loose leash, heel, go over obstacles, lunge, move away from a door, and weave. By strategically moving the target, you can cause the pet to do other behaviors. Such as sit, down, roll-over, play dead, step-up, spin, and bow.
Now that you have the behavior you want happening it is time to fade the target and add the cue. Fading the target can be done at least two ways. One way is to simply remove the target after you have 3-4 repetitions of the behavior you want, click any effort your pet makes to do the behavior. You can then shape the behavior until it is the way you had it with the target. Another way is to make the target smaller and smaller with each trial, until the pet can no longer find it.
The target can become the cue for a particular behavior to happen. If you teach your pet to stand on a skateboard (the target) just placing the skateboard down can prompt (cue) the behavior. If you teach your pet to sit using your hand as a target, the upward motion your hand makes becomes the cue for sit. If you want a different cue give the cue just before you use the target. The pet will soon anticipate the behavior at which time you can stop using the target.
It is important to remember to quit while you are having fun. You don’t have to get the entire behavior in one session. If you are stuck it can be helpful to stop for a while and try again later. Clicker training should be fun for both of you. Enjoy having fun training your pet.
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