I've been doing a little bit with the target stick recently. Only the real basics. Willow is able to touch nicely 19 times out of 20 (she'll get excited on the other one and bite it, normally when I've just upped the ante by moving it to a different position). She can touch both whilst sitting still and at a very short distance, as well as asking her to reach up and down. She's doing well and I can see how it will be a great tool for positioning her in the future. Shadow, on the other hand, bites it every time. In the very early stages, I was happy to click this as attention to it, especially the end, because he started off by aiming for my hand or the stick part, and maybe I shouldn't have done that, because now I can't get him to understand that I'm after just a touch. If I withhold the click for a bite, he offers other behaviours, but all things like sitting, laying, play bowing. Any suggestions on how I can help him understand what I'm after - simply touching it with his schnozz?
Re: Encouraging touch instead of bite of target stick You need to click before he bites it and shape your way to a touch but don't do this for too long - if it doesn't work in 2 or 3 sessions, think of another way to do it. If he is just lunging to it, madly, like a dog that can't work around food for example, then you have to just get him calm around the target stick first.
Re: Encouraging touch instead of bite of target stick We were doing this at puppy class this week. The second their nose touches the stick you throw a treat for them, then another as reward. This soon gets them touching the target then looking for the treat. Our trainer does a lot of treat throwing as reward - it certainly works! She's GOOD too - and had three members qualified for the Gold Display Team at Crufts this year.
Re: Encouraging touch instead of bite of target stick Do you throw the two treats to the same location, or hand deliver the second treat? I'll give it another go later on today
