Targetting

For targeting, I use a 5/8 piece of dowel with a small tennis ball glued on the end. I reward for touching the tennis ball with the nose (just like the article, this training begins with a look, then moving towards the target, then actually touching it). I use the command "Touch".

This target stick can be used for send outs, heeling and all kinds of exercises which require the nose to be in a certain position. Obviously if you use it for one of those exercises, you will need to fade it, but it can be very useful to get started.

You can also use other targets, a traffic cone, a piece of carpet, or a plastic lid, agility trainers often use colored plastic and eventually transparent plastic to teach their dogs to hit the contact points on obstacles.

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