You can also make your own target stick if you do not want to buy one. You can purchase one of these sticks from most pet stores. The object is usually a coloured and bulbous ball, which will not hurt your dog and can be easily noticed by them. Once your dog is good at focusing on an object and touching it with their nose, it’s time to progress onto target stick dog training.Ī target training stick is a special stick with a clicker on one end and an object on the other. Make sure to positively reward your dog with lots of praise and treats-that is how they know what you want them to do! Keep repeating this action until they can follow your palm to the left, right and above them, all the while touching their nose to it.

If they touch their nose to your palm, click and reward them.If your dog looks at your hand, click and reward your dog. Present your hand to your dog, around half an inch away from his nose.You will need a clicker, treats and lots of fuss and praise for this, as these reinforce positive behaviour. Begin by using your hand as your dog will probably already be familiar with hand signals and is already comfortable around you. The easiest way to get your dog started on target training is to teach them to identify a specific object with a body part. It also allows them to identify objects better, which can be very useful if you want to train them to tidy up their toys or close the refrigerator door! You can see why dog target training is growing popular: it teaches your dog better motor control and concentration skills.

But what if you could teach your dog to only touch their nose to the mat or only put their front paws on it? This way, your dog will be responding to the mat in a specific way (or with a trained action) by using only one body part. Target training is a method where you teach your dog to identify specific objects and react to those objects in a certain way.įor instance, if you show your dog a mat, your dog’s first reaction will be to use all of their body to respond to that object-in other words, they will lie down on the mat. Target stick dog training is a great technique to teach your dog, but what exactly is it and how do you begin to train your dog with this method? In this article, we explore all the questions you may have about target training and the benefits. No other training technique hones your dog’s concentration skills as effectively as target training, and the process can help your dog develop their cognitive abilities. Dog target training may be a less well-known way to train your dog, but it is definitely picking up in popularity among dog owners.

Stick em up dog trick