Feb. Beginner Training Challenge

[CollieMan]

Objective:
Using positive training techniques only, teach your dog to touch the open palm of your empty hand with its nose, on command, from a distance of at least six inches away.

Example Demonstration:
One example of how this might be taught can be viewed here.

Important Information
As with all of the monthly challenges, it is important that you do not try to push your dog any further than it is willing or physically able to go. Remember, the challenges are just for fun, and this should be reflected in your approach to training.

[Jean]

This one should be relatively easy for new trainers. But trust me, this is one behavior that you want to train. Once you get your dog trained to do this, you can get his attention anywhere by asking him to tap his nose on your hand. This is also very useful in agility when you want him to focus on the extended arm.

I've done a lot of this training, but I started using a target instead. Perhaps this week I will record that lesson so that it can aid to this one. I had planned to record it in Level 5 since it is a clicker training only, without any luring.

[k9player]

I taught my dog to do nose touches to the palm of my hand, then I heard a dog trainer (Mary Ray), recommend something different. She recommended reserving the palm of the hand for paw touches (as shake High five etc looks good in the palm of the hand), and using the back of the hand for nose touches.

This actually made a lot of sense to me, as the dog then has a different hand signal for a nose and a paw touch, so I preceded to retrain Delta.

Would it be ok for beginner entrants to target the back of the hand for nose touches (I won't be entering as Delta knows the trick already)?

[hockey390]

I am thinking of putting something in my hand such as a piece of red cloth so that she gets used to touching that... Then I can try and work that in with the advanced one for cop-cop

[milissa]

I use a target stick with all my service dog trainees (dowel rod with marker on one end)--
it can be the best foundation for so many behaviors! Once you've got a dog following that target you can put him anywhere and reward him for it, then put a word on it and finally remove the target and only use the word.
'Touch' is one of my favorites!

[luna may]

I think I'll be training all three tricks- that way Kesem can choose herself a favorite, and it'll also be lots of fun!

[szecsuani]

Well this was one of the first tricks I thought Pami when we adopted her.

She didn't really trust anyone in the first few weeks, so I started teaching her to touch my hand, leg, shoulder and knee. I think it helped her a lot.

But this way, I won't enter this challange.

[storm22]

storm is touch happy he loves this trick he'll touch anything i ask him to this is probably his fav trick of all time lolz

[chevycgc]

I haven't done much clicker training and am here to learn. Can I do the beginner trick and also the intermediate one? I once trained bang bang but not on a dog I currently have and not using a clicker.

Thanks,
Sally
The flyindogz:
Loki
Scram
Hasty

[Jean]

Hi chevycgc!

Sure! If your dog doesn't already know then you can teach him this trick for this month's challenge. Do you have a video camera? As we need to see you perform the trick once it is taught so that we can determine the winner.

No problem in entering both contests! Just have fun!

[chevycgc]

Cool! Yes I have a video camera! I will get training.

Sally &
the Flyindogz
Loki
Scram
Hasty

[chevycgc]

So the video is not of the actual training but of the end result right? So it only need be like 30 seconds or less? Am I understanding correctly? The lighting was so bad on my training tape that I would like to tape it in better light so that is good if I can now make the video of the end result.

Sally

[Jean]

Sure that is fine! But we usually like to keep track of people's training so we like to see the first few lessons and give pointers. But that's up to you.

[chevycgc]

Oh, okay, so you want me to upload the whole training video? Its about 10 minutes long. I actually did it with all three of my dogs but for the challenge I used the most novice as far as training goes, she knows the least.(although I have all three on tape) The first two dogs got it pretty much right away. The female who has had very little training took lots more time.

The tape is pretty dark. But I think you can see what is going on and you can definitely hear the clicker.

Tell me if you want me to upload the whole training of the one dog and I will.

Sally & The flyindogz
Loki
Scram
Hasty

[CollieMan]

You can edit it so that it shows that one dog at the start and at the end. You only have to submit a video showing the end result. However, as Jean mentioned, some people like to do sort of 'before and after' videos. This also allows us to see which dogs have made the biggest improvement.

For example, after this month, I will only be submitting my first and last training sessions here.