How To Teach A Dog To Indicate An Object?

[Vizzla]

I would like to teach Alf to indicate different scents or objects by touching his nose on them. Like, if a but a candy under a coup or plastic box, he touches the box and get the treat.

Alf just starts hitting it with his paws or go nuts on it untill it flips over and he can eat it.

What shall I do?

 

[SD&B]

Hmmmm.... Just a wild guess, but try putting it higher (table or bench), so that it's easier to bump with his nose than to paw at.

 

[madeleine]

I don't know whether you tried this yet. But since your dog sounds alot like mine i would try to lower the hyper level by not adding the treat under the box just yet. Than click only the soft nose touches.
Possible after this step you can put the treat in a closed box. Than only click on the soft nose touch and you get the treat out of the box for Alf (not always though, do shap between treats from your pocket so Alf wouldn't get to enthousiastic again.
Good luck! Hope some off this will help.

 

[Vizzla]

I tried to have an empty box but its just the same. He does the soft nose touch once or twice but then starts to hit it with his paws again. I try to wait him out but I havent succede yet

 

[madeleine]

and ignoring the roufly paw parts and only clicking the soft ones didn't help? Teach a nose touch first with an post it on a door, wall, trouwser or whatever than?

 

[Vizzla]

I will try the post it
When I ignore he stops trying anything. It like he doesnt know what I want even if I click when the nose touches... because he most of the time starts banging his paws.

 

[Vizzla]

I will try to put it higher! That might work. He´s a dachshund so his paws cant reach far

 

[madeleine]

Good luck!

 

[JazzyandVeronica]

I am working on something similar w/ Veronica and having a cornucopia of interesting experiences. I jackpot her when she touches her nose to the item (while standing, I also want her standing and she seems to think "target" means, while standing, while lying down, while using a paw, while using your chin). She's getting it, but it's taking repetition - short training sessions so she doesn't get burnt out. We're also working on duration of touch, by just holding off a bit at a time the RM

For her errors, I am using a NRM. I know some folks don't like them and feel they aren't completely positive; but I find a "nope try again" has her less frustrated that if I say nothing.

 

[Vizzla]

Whats NRM?

 

[JazzyandVeronica]

Sorry....No Reward Mark

Basically giving the dog feedback...I use "nope" or "try again" or "nope, try again"

Basically it tells the dog, "you're cold, you're on the wrong track, you're doing the wrong thing, that's not what I'm looking for"...and no reward/treat will be forthcoming for that particular behavior.