I am trying to teach Arnie how to target. I want to eventually be able to send him places by pointing at them. He does the hand touch really well and follows my hand around without any problems. I can point to my left and he comes and sits in a heel, same goes for a right hand heel. I can hold my hand out in front and say "touch" and he just noses it, and I can change it to any position I like with no issues. He follows my hand around like a champ. The problem comes in with pointing to an object, for example his mat, and wanting him to go there. Unless I am standing right next to the mat and he follows my hand anyway, he doesn't get it. I stand just out of arms reach of the mat and point there and he will go to my hand and touch my hand, instead of going on the mat. How can I shape this behaviour into being able to send him to objects?
Ah, yes. It's not something that comes naturally to dogs, looking where we're pointing. They do tend to focus on the hand. And, since you've been rewarding him (quite rightly) for doing a hand target, then he's going to keep on trying that. With a "go to <whatever>", I like to shape it, although you could use a target stick instead. I'll explain the two: Target stick So, you need to get or make a target stick. This is the one I have: http://www.traininglines.co.uk/dogsline-extending-target-stick.html It's basically a little ball on an extending stick. Not rocket science to make - and the stick doesn't even need to be telescopic if you don't want, although it does make it easier to carry in your bag or pocket. So, in the same way that you taught the hand target, you teach him to target the ball on the stick. Start with it nice and short at first, and then extend it out bit by bit, generalising by making it appear at different heights. Work on him following it for a few paces, clicking his attempt to get it rather than the actual touch. Once you have this, you can use it as a way of getting him into positions without your body being as involved. So you could get him to move to the mat, click once he's on it etc etc. Once you've done it enough times, see if he can manage it without following the target. Then you put it on cue as normal. Shaping Clear your environment as much as possible, so it's you, the dog and the mat. I like to sit in front of the mat. Let him wander around and mark any interaction he makes with the mat - which may be a glance in its direction. Throw the treat away from the mat, so he has to reorient towards it to look at it again. Once he's worked out that looking at the mat means a treat, then you can start raising the criteria; a step in the direction of the mat; a single foot on the mat; two feet on it; working up to four feet on it, and then maybe four feet and a sit. Each time, remember to toss the treat away from the mat so he has to make an effort to get back onto it. Once you have the level of behaviour that you're after, you can start slowly increasing the distance. Once he has the idea that running to the mat and sitting (or whatever) on it gets him a treat, then you can introduce your verbal cue, such as "on your mat". If you want this to apply to other mats, beds etc, then you could also add a visual cue at this point, but remember to use a variety of different things so that he learns to generalise, and to go to the one you're pointing at.
Great explanations above. You can also lure some targeting behaviours. I tried to get my dog targeting my knee for heelwork and I lured an approximation of what I was looking for and then shaped from then onwards.
Yeah @snowbunny thats what I have been doing in the shaping department. I can't seem to break the "out of arms reach" barrier with him. As soon as I move too far away from the mat he just comes and touches my hand. I might try the targeting stick, which may switch on the light not to always go to my hand
Be patient too it can take a while for the dog to try something. Dogs used to loads of clicker work and shaping throw behaviours out really fast. Dogs less used to it (like mine) take a little while to get in the habit.
Don't rush is. Only move on from a certain level of difficulty when he's consistently doing it at that difficulty (so, success several times in a row). A "trick" you could use its, when you toss the treat, toss it the other side of the mat (so mat is centre of a clock face, with you at 6 o'clock - toss the treat to 12 o'clock. Then, when he turns back to you and steps onto the mat, click. You can gradually change the direction of the throw to 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock etc so he has to deviate more to get onto the mat and get the click.
Yeah cool idea. I'm gonna try that in the morning. I think I might be trying to rush this. Maybe just a week of consistent simple targets before I move on the harder ones.
Remember you want to be setting your dog up to succeed. Rushing, especially when he's first learning about shaping, will just confuse and frustrate him. So take it really slow in these early stages and you'll have a confident dog that has learnt how to learn a little way down the line.
