How do I teach Finn to stand near target? I have to put a target 5 meters away and send Finn forward and let him stand beside it. He has to stay until I collect him with a treat. He thinks it is a game and that I want to play with him. He doesn’t understand this. Even the trainer tried to teach him. He looks at me with a happy face and at the same time puzzled. He obviously asks me what do you want me to do? The trainer told me also that he doesn’t understand this..
First starting with touching the target in hand. When he understood this by putting it on the ground and let him touch it. After this and all went okay, by making the distance larger, first 1 meter, 2 meter etc. At the large distance he must stay there and that is the problem. He thinks he has to retrieve the target to me. He won’t stay and let me come to him. He doesn’t understand this. He takes the target after touching and take it to me....
What is the target? A post? A mat? I would train it with something that is impossible to retrieve so he gets the idea and then transfer it to the other target. I would also work at a simple sit/stay at the target while you walk away so he gets used to being by the target without picking it up, then back-chain in the send.
With Bramble I started with a placeboard as the target. I worked with her sitting in front of me on the placeboard. Once she was happy I added a cue for the placeboard. So now I was able to send her out to the placeboard and she would sit. I used "OK" as the cue to release her. I think it's quite a stretch to ask a dog not used to remote targetting to go out sit, and then wait for a release cue.
The target is a little rubber frisbee like round object. He sits and wait for me when I place the target 5 meters away. When I give him the signal that he is allowed to go and tough the target he runs to the target and tough it, but then try to pick it up and bring it to me, while he is supposed to stand still so that I can come to him with a treat. I am not allowed to give him a command to sit...that would be easy for he sits at a distance if I say so! The problem is the stay in standing position.
So, have you trained a stand/stay? It sounds like that will be your first port of call. He needs to know clearly what he's supposed to do. If he doesn't know that, then he'll try to do what he thinks you want. If there's something there that he can bring back, why wouldn't he think it's a retrieving game?
