TOUCH!

TOUCH! is the cue and at that the dog should run to put his nose or paw on the selected object. Targeting can be one of the most interesting and productive things we can teach our dogs.  Targeting shows us quickly how our dog is learning, can be applied to a variety of behaviors and is simple to teach and highly retained by the dog.

Much of what we teach our dogs is learned through us enforcing (or forcing, however gently) the action or behavior, but with targeting the dog must learn what we want by offering the touch.

Targeting is a simple behavior to teach. You simply wait for the behavior and reward it when offered. You put the cue on it once the behavior is established.  Most dogs get it with three to five repetitions. Targeting is usually retained for many years with little or no practice.

Many behaviors can be taught easily with target training and using a target eliminates the need for luring. For example, walking on a loose lead simply becomes following the target. Targeting is an easy way to teach simple and complex behaviors, tricks or even finding a family member by name.

We teach targeting at A Place for Paws beginning with our Puppy Kindergarten class. While we are still exploring all of the possibilities of using targeting in training, we can teach you the basics and make it fun and easy for you to watch your puppy learn.