Having Fun, Confusing Cues!

[Pawbla]

So right now I'm trying to teach my dog "touch"... I thought it'd be fairly cofusing for him because once in a while I'd tell him "cache!" (which sounds similar) for him to go catch a fly / nasty bug. He's found it easier to get that in a "training session", that sound means "touch my hand", and that in another situation, it's "go catch a bug"... so now I'm surprising him off the sessions situation, and telling him "touch!" and praise him when he does the right thing! I no longer have a bug catcher I guess, but now I have some hand targetting! Hahaha!

 

[Jean Cote]

Hi Pawbla, I would recommend that you teach touch on a visual signal first and then use a different word that sounds different, maybe hit or target. Personally I just flip my hand and my dog knows what I want her to do without having to use a command.

 

[Pawbla]

Yeah, he's getting the difference now . It'd have been good to have realized about the fact that it sounded similar before I taught him the cue . I realized "hey, this sounds similar..." after I taught him and tried the command on a non-training-session-situation. Thanks for the suggestions !

 

[dogcrazy]

You can also use a word in another language. My dog used to confuse spin and speak so she would spin a bark at the same time!!!!

 

[Pawbla]

Yup, I often mix languages! But I didn't realize at that time . Actually, "touch" for me is a different language, my native language is Spanish.