Target need help

[ilovemydog]

Hi all i want to teach my dog to PAW and NOSE target. how can this be done? ive seen a few people on youtube that use sticks, fists, palms etc.. but i really want to do this right and make sure. I want to teach her to ring the bell to potty, cross your paws etc.. what the cue verb you use for each one.

 

[rouen]

Kikopup has a great video on youtube showing how to teach paw targetting.

For hand targetting you can do that a few different ways. Palm targetting you can teach by holding a treat against your palm with your thumb, when the dog investigates the treat and touches her nose to you hand you click and treat. eventually(repetitions needed will vary depending on the dog) you will wean from the treat on your palm.

For fist targetting you can put a treat in your closed fist and when the dog investigates, click and treat.

Nose targetting on an object can be done similarly, most dogs will investigate something if you show interest in it, for example if I say really excited "whats that" and grab something and pretend to play with it, both of mine will smell the object. This is when you would click and treat. it may take a couple times of doing that depending on the dog. Or you could lace an object with a good smell, maybe some cheese wiz. WHen the dog investigates you click and treat.

 

[ilovemydog]

yes i have seen that clip of kikopup. i did get that light but have not started on my dog. after she does this paw target what i do next to train her to SHAKE her bells. is it easy to touch with nose or paw? i have seen another clip on youtube where this person use a Tape on a wooden spoon and then puts the take on the bell. and says touch bell and then bell. Do you think i should do that?

 

[rouen]

Once proofed you should be able to get her to target anything. I never went through with Dingo to differentiate between paw or nose, so when I tell him to touch something he has to figure out what works better, like when I taugh him to close doors, he tried with his nose but his paws worked better.
For ringing the bell, I would start her with targetting a post-it note, you can put it on the floor or like kikopup did in that video depending on what poart of her body you want her to use. Once she's got that down you can stick a posy-it right behind your bells and give her the cue to touch the post-it. After she's got that down you'd wean the post-it.

 

[sara]

I taught Oliver to ring the bells to ask out in a matter of a day. It was amazing how fast he picked it up. He knew touch (with paw) and Target (with nose) already, and he'll touch or target anything I hold, point to or throw. so I just put his leash on, asked for touch and pointed to the bells, as soon as there was noise, we went outside... that was his reinforcement. by the end of the day, he was asking outside by ringing the bells... then I had to take the bells away 'cuz he rang the bells constantly! LOL

 

[ilovemydog]

Thank you guys so much. I will try the post a note thing! Cant wait to start. I will let you all know. I will start with her the TOUCH with paw!! Hopefully she can do this.

 

[ilovemydog]

Hey guys UPDATED:

Well i have been traning princess witht he the PAW TARGET first i use a mini light just like kikopup used then once she learn how to TOUCH PAW target with it At first she didnt want to touch the light with her paw she just wanted to DRAG it and get the treat under it so i lift it up and ask her to SHAKE! and she as soon as she did that she touched the LIGHT. So i asked her to do that a few times then change it to TOUCH. and she did. I put ont he floor and she touched the light again with her paw again and again. after that i took the light away and made her touch the post in note and she touched that too. after that i lift it up in to like a hight five or wave and she touch that too. slowly i took her to the door where the BELLS are and then when she go to be near the bells i stick the post note on thr bells i hold the note so it wont fall off and she TOUCHED IT!! SOOO HAPPY. now she didnt do the bells loud but i CLICKED for that. and she did it again and again. I tear off some more paper so it can be a bit small. I kept telling her TOUCH but i wanted to know the bells so i said TOUCH BELLS and she touched them. I did this a few times and then open the doors when she TOUCHED but didnt want to go Potty so when time comes and she want to potty i will TOUCH BELL with her and then open door.

 

[ilovemydog]

update! princess now knows how to ring the bell on command and with out it. she lets me know when she needs to go potty. Im just looking for a loud bell now