Targeting

With targeting you teach your dog to target something and touch it with his nose.

Targeting is a very useful tool for teaching tricks and behaviors later on. It's also very fun to teach!

You'll need a piece of dowel (a piece that is one meter in length will save you bending over), a marker, a toy, or an ice cream container lid for this exercise.

Start by holding the object, for example the end of the piece of dowel or a marker, close to his nose. If he moves his head near it, click and treat. Repeat this step several times.
Keeping holding the object close to his nose and when he touches it with his nose, click and treat. Repeat this step several times.
Now move the object around, when he moves towards it and makes contact with his nose, click and treat. Keep moving it a little further away and each time he walks over and touches it with his nose, click and treat.
Now introduce the cue. Say, "touch," just before he makes contact with his nose, and click and treat.

Now change the object and repeat the steps above. The goal is to teach your dog that if you hold an object and say, "touch," he should walk to it and touch it with his nose, for a click and a treat.

Tip: some dogs will try to mouth and bite the object. This is fine, but do not click when he mouthing it, only click when his nose makes contact with it, and then treat. This way, you are telling him that he earns a treat when he touches it with his nose, not when he bites it.

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