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In a "targeting" behaviour, a dog touches a part of his body to an object. Learning to "target" is one of the most versatile skills your dog can have. Each targeting skill can be expanded and used in multiple contexts.
We will introduce three forms of targeting in class: nose touch, chin rest, and stationing. In a nose touch, your dog touches her nose to your hand or an object. In a chin rest, your dog rests her chin in the palm of your hand. And in stationing, your dog "targets" her body to a mat or platform.
We will introduce three forms of targeting in class: nose touch, chin rest, and stationing. In a nose touch, your dog touches her nose to your hand or an object. In a chin rest, your dog rests her chin in the palm of your hand. And in stationing, your dog "targets" her body to a mat or platform.
"Touch" - hand targeting - is when your dog touches his/her nose to your hand. This is a fun behaviour that both dogs and people love because it brings you and your dog an instant connection. Hand touches are a wonderful way to maintain connection with your dog on walks and in other situations.
Once your dog has learned to touch your hand with her nose, it can become a fun behaviour on its own even when treats are not available. You can use hand targeting to move your dog in space without a food lure.
For puppies, hand touches are great because they teach the pup a safe way to interact with your hands. Our hands become part of play and interaction without biting and teeth on skin.
Hand targeting also provides an informal recall cue. You can keep adding distance and ask your dog to target your hand from further and further away. Hand targets are also useful for dogs who like to jump up when meeting people. Ask them to hand target instead!
Finally, hand targeting is a gateway to lots of other behaviours. For example, watch TT shut the door, a skill that started with "touch". Here's TT again, smashing his nose against a glass pot lid! The purpose of that behaviour? There isn't one! It's just for fun! Both these skills start wtih simple targeting of the dog's nose to your hand, or another object such as a stick. (You can purchase a target stick or you can just use a long handled kitchen utensil that has a head, such as a spatula.)
How to teach "Touch". Note when I say "click" you can use a verbal marker instead, the word "yes". The process we use to teach "Touch" is shaping, that is, rewarding small increments of behaviour toward an end, final behaviour.
1. Decide on the way you want to present your hand. I use a flat palm with fingers extended. But you could also use two extended fingers or a fist for a fist bump. Be mindful of the way your present your hand and make it distinct so that your puppy or dog begins to recognize it as a cue to "touch".
2. Present your hand away from you, to your side, in the way you have decided (e.g. flat palm, two fingers extended, etc.) Put your hand close enough that it's easy for your dog but be careful not to stick it in her face and cause her to back away. You can use a quick action as you present your hand to get your dog's attention, but keep your hand still or moving away from your dog or puppy as you present it. It might help to sit on the floor or on a chair to be closer to your puppy or dog. Don't move your hand towards your dog or puppy - you want them to move towards your hand.
3. Click or say yes when your dog touches your hand with her nose. If she doesn't do it at first, click when she looks at your hand or orients or moves toward it. Remove your hand after each click and re-present it. If she doesn't look at or touch your hand after a few seconds, remove it and present it again.
4. Remember to pause after you click, before you reach for the treat. After you click, toss the treat a few feet away to reset your dog to see and approach your hand when you present it again.
4. Shape variations of the hand target as your dog gets better at it. Keep it easy at first and once she is reliably touching your hand, switch to your other hand. Then start presenting your hand higher, lower, further away, etc. Go slowly with each step. If she is unsuccessful twice, then move back down a step in difficulty. You can also start to shape stronger touches (i.e. more pressure of her nose on your hand), and duration (she keeps her nose on your hand for a longer time).
Here I am working on touch with Rico. I am using a clicker but instead of a clicker you can say "yes" or you can make a clicking sound yourself. Rico already knew "touch" but it wasn't fluent. Therefore, I am not using a verbal cue yet - I want to get the behaviour stronger first. But I do change hands and the position of my hand and he does well.
Below I am working with Bug on "touch" - this is her first introduction to touch so, again, there is no verbal cue yet, just the presentation of my hand. She had only been with me a few days and had no training background at all when we did this training and she does so well! Note how I wait for Bug, until she is ready to do the behaviour again. I don't nag her or try to call her - I just wait until she shows me she's ready to do it again and that makes it successful.
Once your dog has learned to touch your hand with her nose, it can become a fun behaviour on its own even when treats are not available. You can use hand targeting to move your dog in space without a food lure.
For puppies, hand touches are great because they teach the pup a safe way to interact with your hands. Our hands become part of play and interaction without biting and teeth on skin.
Hand targeting also provides an informal recall cue. You can keep adding distance and ask your dog to target your hand from further and further away. Hand targets are also useful for dogs who like to jump up when meeting people. Ask them to hand target instead!
Finally, hand targeting is a gateway to lots of other behaviours. For example, watch TT shut the door, a skill that started with "touch". Here's TT again, smashing his nose against a glass pot lid! The purpose of that behaviour? There isn't one! It's just for fun! Both these skills start wtih simple targeting of the dog's nose to your hand, or another object such as a stick. (You can purchase a target stick or you can just use a long handled kitchen utensil that has a head, such as a spatula.)
How to teach "Touch". Note when I say "click" you can use a verbal marker instead, the word "yes". The process we use to teach "Touch" is shaping, that is, rewarding small increments of behaviour toward an end, final behaviour.
1. Decide on the way you want to present your hand. I use a flat palm with fingers extended. But you could also use two extended fingers or a fist for a fist bump. Be mindful of the way your present your hand and make it distinct so that your puppy or dog begins to recognize it as a cue to "touch".
2. Present your hand away from you, to your side, in the way you have decided (e.g. flat palm, two fingers extended, etc.) Put your hand close enough that it's easy for your dog but be careful not to stick it in her face and cause her to back away. You can use a quick action as you present your hand to get your dog's attention, but keep your hand still or moving away from your dog or puppy as you present it. It might help to sit on the floor or on a chair to be closer to your puppy or dog. Don't move your hand towards your dog or puppy - you want them to move towards your hand.
3. Click or say yes when your dog touches your hand with her nose. If she doesn't do it at first, click when she looks at your hand or orients or moves toward it. Remove your hand after each click and re-present it. If she doesn't look at or touch your hand after a few seconds, remove it and present it again.
4. Remember to pause after you click, before you reach for the treat. After you click, toss the treat a few feet away to reset your dog to see and approach your hand when you present it again.
4. Shape variations of the hand target as your dog gets better at it. Keep it easy at first and once she is reliably touching your hand, switch to your other hand. Then start presenting your hand higher, lower, further away, etc. Go slowly with each step. If she is unsuccessful twice, then move back down a step in difficulty. You can also start to shape stronger touches (i.e. more pressure of her nose on your hand), and duration (she keeps her nose on your hand for a longer time).
Here I am working on touch with Rico. I am using a clicker but instead of a clicker you can say "yes" or you can make a clicking sound yourself. Rico already knew "touch" but it wasn't fluent. Therefore, I am not using a verbal cue yet - I want to get the behaviour stronger first. But I do change hands and the position of my hand and he does well.
Below I am working with Bug on "touch" - this is her first introduction to touch so, again, there is no verbal cue yet, just the presentation of my hand. She had only been with me a few days and had no training background at all when we did this training and she does so well! Note how I wait for Bug, until she is ready to do the behaviour again. I don't nag her or try to call her - I just wait until she shows me she's ready to do it again and that makes it successful.
Watch Bug do "touch" and "find it". Adding "find it" automatically builds distance into your touch behaviour. Note that at first I click when she comes toward my hand but doesn't actually touch it. She's just learning, so I want to reward every effort. She quickly gets better and makes good contact with my hand!
The chin rest is a lovely way to connect physically with your dog. It's also useful as a consent signal for husbandry tasks such as brushing, and for veterinary procedures. I also like using the chin rest as a way for dogs who really like people to greet them and keep four feet on the floor.
The chin rest is very simple: your dog rests his chin on the palm of your hand. Watch TT doing a chin rest.
The chin rest is very simple: your dog rests his chin on the palm of your hand. Watch TT doing a chin rest.
Three ways to train the chin rest
Luring: Place a treat on the far side of your palm so that your dog's chin needs to rest on your palm to get the treat. Mark that moment with "yes" and then treat. Next step is to remove the treat - just pretend to have a treat. And the final step would be to remove your second hand and just present one hand. Here I am practising the first step of luring with Buddy (but I was so focussed on the filming I forgot to mark the moment with "Yes" the moment his chin rests on my hand!)
Luring: Place a treat on the far side of your palm so that your dog's chin needs to rest on your palm to get the treat. Mark that moment with "yes" and then treat. Next step is to remove the treat - just pretend to have a treat. And the final step would be to remove your second hand and just present one hand. Here I am practising the first step of luring with Buddy (but I was so focussed on the filming I forgot to mark the moment with "Yes" the moment his chin rests on my hand!)
Loopy training: Create a loop by feeding overhead and catching the dog's chin in your hand when it drops as she swallows her treat. I practice this method with Remi below.
Capture it: Maybe your dog will already willingly put her chin in your hand. I find dogs will sometimes do this when you are sitting on the couch and they come by to say hello, or when you are at the car and they have their head out the window and you offer your palm. If you dog will offer this behaviour on her own, be ready to capture it by marking and treating when she does.
The chin rest as a consent signal. The chin rest gives the dog a way to offer or withdraw consent in certain situations, such as grooming. When the dog's chin rests on your hand (or on an object such as a pillow or chair), the dog is saying she is comfortable with what you are doing. When she lifts her chin, she is asking you to pause or stop. This gives the dog a way to communicate her feelings and exercise some control. The more opportunities you give your dog exercise choice and control, the more you will gain her cooperation and trust.
I practice using the chin rest with Remi and Buddy below as a way for them to let me know they are okay with my brushing them.
To use the chin rest as a "more please" or consent signal, it's important that the dog place her chin in your hand voluntarily, rather than grabbing or taking her chin. The voluntary behaviour is a way for the dog to talk to us and say "Okay, I'm ready." In the video below you can see that at first I do take Buddy's chin instead of waiting for him to offer it. I brush him for awhile and when he lifts his head, I stop, honouring his request for a break. After the break, I am more careful to ensure Buddy offers his chin to me voluntarily. Buddy gets a treat during the break but an even more powerful reinforcer for his wonderful behaviour here is that he has control and a voice. He is able to tell me when he's ready to start and he is able to ask for a break.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO TEACH SETTLE ON A MAT:
When your dog is getting a paw on the mat every single time, hold off on clicking him until he gets two paws on the mat. Ooh, we’re tricky, aren’t we? You’ll be surprised at how quickly your dog moves both paws on to the mat. Be ready; click the moment that second paw touches the mat. Toss the treat and wait again.
Again, pretty quickly, two paws will be the norm. Guess what you’re going to do next? You’re going to wait for the dog to have three paws on the mat before you click. Then, you guessed it, when he’s good at getting three paws on the mat, click only when the dog has all four paws on the mat. Always toss a treat away from the mat after you click, of course.
Now comes the first big leap of faith that I’m going to ask you for. It’s going to involve you doing nothing. That’s really hard for people, I’ve learned. We want to help. We want to tell the dog what to do. I’m begging you—remain silent. Remain still. Do nothing except clicking and treating. When the dog is good at getting four paws on the mat, I want you to wait until the dog voluntarily sits on that mat before clicking and treating. I promise you that the dog will sit without you asking him. Honest, I wouldn’t steer you wrong. Just wait—it will be worth it, I promise.
Once your dog is coming to the mat and sitting reliably, guess what? You’re going to wait for the dog to volunteer a down. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? It’s not. Again, you have to trust me. Of course, you will click and treat the instant the dog lies down.
TROUBLESHOOTING SETTLE ON A MAT:
- a mat (think bathroom mat, the kind with a plastic backing)
- clicker
- treats
- Stand still, centered behind the mat.
- Have your clicker ready to go (in your hand, thumb on the clicker).
- When the dog just happens to put a paw on the mat (totally by chance), CLICK!
- Toss the treat off the mat (you need the dog to leave the mat so he can come back onto the mat to get another click).
- Wait for the dog to eat the treat and wander back over to where you’re standing, accidentally stepping a paw on the mat again in the process.
- Click, toss treat.
- Repeat
When your dog is getting a paw on the mat every single time, hold off on clicking him until he gets two paws on the mat. Ooh, we’re tricky, aren’t we? You’ll be surprised at how quickly your dog moves both paws on to the mat. Be ready; click the moment that second paw touches the mat. Toss the treat and wait again.
Again, pretty quickly, two paws will be the norm. Guess what you’re going to do next? You’re going to wait for the dog to have three paws on the mat before you click. Then, you guessed it, when he’s good at getting three paws on the mat, click only when the dog has all four paws on the mat. Always toss a treat away from the mat after you click, of course.
Now comes the first big leap of faith that I’m going to ask you for. It’s going to involve you doing nothing. That’s really hard for people, I’ve learned. We want to help. We want to tell the dog what to do. I’m begging you—remain silent. Remain still. Do nothing except clicking and treating. When the dog is good at getting four paws on the mat, I want you to wait until the dog voluntarily sits on that mat before clicking and treating. I promise you that the dog will sit without you asking him. Honest, I wouldn’t steer you wrong. Just wait—it will be worth it, I promise.
Once your dog is coming to the mat and sitting reliably, guess what? You’re going to wait for the dog to volunteer a down. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? It’s not. Again, you have to trust me. Of course, you will click and treat the instant the dog lies down.
TROUBLESHOOTING SETTLE ON A MAT:
- What if my dog doesn’t move? Just be patient. If your dog gets really stuck (lies down, for instance), you can toss a treat (no click, just toss) to get him up and moving.
- What if my dog wanders off? Some inexperienced dogs might not understand the process. To help the novice dog, try this. Click and treat 10 times in a row. Click, then toss the treat away a few feet. You’re not clicking for anything in particular, just pairing the sound of the click with the tossed treat. Tossing the treat gets the dog moving; once the dog is up and moving, it’s a sure bet that, inadvertently, he’ll walk across or onto that mat. Then, click and treat.
- My dog just stares at me—what do I do? Stand (or sit) still and look at the mat. Keep your eyes on the mat and resist the urge to “help” your dog.
