Get the WHOLE family in on the training. This helps your dog listen to every member in the family and it helps generalizes the cues and behaviors. Once everyone is on the same page on how a cue is given and what to reward with, etc. family members can give you a break if you like 🙂
Its good for you, your family and your dog(s).
Training should be fun for you and your dog.
Make sure YOU are in a good mood before you start training.
If your dog is too excited or anxious or not paying attention for any reason, take him on a walk or play some ball before a training session
Here is the last step to “Touch”
Take it on the Road:
Practice in every room of your house, backyard, front yard, driveway, park, and pet store. Practice when you have company, when the kids are being loud, any and every distraction that you can use to practice is the best way to have a reliable “Touch”, so no matter what your dog will always come and touch your hand.Â
Practicing this behavior everywhere you go, will help your dog respond to you in every situation, but if you only practice at home, he will only respond to you at home.
Hi guys! Keep up the good work!! I hope you are seeing more progress.
Here is the next step to “Touch”
If your dog is running to you and touching your hand every time you present it, then you are ready to give it a name! Go back to the first step. Present your hand a few inches from your dog’s nose and when your dog touches your hand, say “Touch” or “Nose” (whichever you prefer… something that is easy for you to remember). It should go like this: offer hand, dogs touches hand/say “Touch”, C/T! Repeat. Work with both hands. After a few touches with you saying “touch” when he touches, start saying it when he is starting to go for your hand, repeat this a few times. After practicing for a little bit, say “Touch” then present your hand and see what your dog does. If he touches, GREAT, you’re ready to move on. If he doesn’t touch your hand, go back to making it easier for your dog.
Hello Again!! How’s training going?? Do you enjoy working with your dog? Let me know!!
Here is the next step to “Touch”
We want your dog to move toward the target (your hand). Present your hand a few inches away from your dogs face, when he touches it, C/T. Move your hand to the side of your dog’s head, when he touches, C/T! Try stepping away from your dog and see if he touches your hand, again if he touches, C/T! Try mixing it up by presenting your hand down low, away from your body, through your legs, etc. Move farther from your dog and see if he’ll come to you to touch your hand. If at any point your dog doesn’t do it, make it easier; move your hand closer, if it’s on the ground, raise it. Our goal as the trainer is to help our dogs succeed.
Hey everyone!! I hope youre not going crazy being cooped up in your house. Sometimes it feels that way to me, so we go outside and enjoy the fresh air… the downside is that it has been raining a lot and it’s been very chilly, but its suppose to warm up soon.
Today I’m sharing the first steps to “Touch”. Touch is when your dog comes and touches his nose to your hand or another object. It is a great alternate to come because the dog has to come and touch you to complete the behavior. This is also a great behavior for dogs that are scared of things. Once your dog knows the cue you can use it to “touch” the scary thing (whether a vets hand, the vacuum cleaner, anything your dog finds scary).
First Steps:
You’ll need your clicker, treats, timer, and treat pouch (if desired). Find a comfortable spot to sit or stand. Hold out the opposite hand that is holding your clicker in front of your dogs nose. Curiosity will take over and he will sniff your hand. Click and Treat (C/T)! Take your hand away. Then present your hand again and when he sniffs/touches/licks your hand he gets a click and treat! If your dog doesn’t show interest in your hand, just take your hand away and present it again.
Your goal is to get 10 hand touches with clicks and treats in 40 seconds.
I will be posting the next step next week. Practice all week- just 10 treats worth of training/per each session.
Knowing how to teach a new behavior is a great skill to have, because it gives you the ability to teach your dog ANY behavior you want (that your dog is physically capable of doing).
If the behavior you desire him or her to know is something he or she already knows then its super easy to capture the behavior. When your dog does the behavior click and treat, C/T. Do this multiple times and once your dog is reliably doing the behavior, you can start putting it on cue.
If its something your dog doesn’t do on his or her own, then you’ll need to shape it. Shaping is breaking the behavior down in small steps. The important thing to remember is that the steps have to be small and attainable to your dog. Break down step as small as possible. You’ll want your dog to know the whole behavior before adding the cue AND do it reliably.
Remember when adding the cue, start at the time the behavior begins and work your way to before your dog does the behavior.
We are going to teach our dogs how to follow our hand. This behavior is helpful in leading our dogs. This is great for crate training, walking past something that scares or overexcites your dog and is good for agility or freestyle dance training.
You will need to use some sort of obstacle (ex: your leg, a chair, a cone, etc).
Step 1: In this step your dog should know “touch” (see the “touch” pamphlet).
Step 2:
Step 3: The next step is putting a cue to the behavior of following the target. So as your dog is doing the behavior say, “this way”. Repeat this step 3-5 times. Then test it out on your dog. Say “this way” and move your hand. Make sure to click and treat for the dog doing the behavior. If they don’t follow then, Go back to adding the cue to the behavior.
On the road: Once your dog knows the cue at home, make sure to practice anywhere and everywhere you take your dog (work, home depot, the park, etc).
*IMPORTANT- if your dog has a hard time doing the behavior in a new environment, move away from any and all distractions. Lower your expectations, some dogs may need to go back to the beginning so to speak.
Start by clicking and treating for any interaction with the bed. After 3-4 clicks and treats for looking/sniffing, wait for more (a paw or 2 on the bed). Making small attainable steps for your dog to make. Let your dog try different things (like my dog nudged the bed with his nose) don’t click just be patient.. it’s okay for your dog to guess.
Note: Toss treat away from bed to reset your dog, UNTIL they finally lay down, THEN place a few treats in between their paws.
Note: If your dog doesn’t have a go to your mat behavior, try laying a towel or another blanket on the elevated bed (some dogs are unsure about the above the ground beds).
High Five
The goal is to have our dogs touch one of our hands with one of their paws. This is a great way for you to learn how to target and how to shape a new behavior.
Steps:
Things to remember:
