RECALL TO HAND TARGET - Smrtdog



[pic] RECALL

RECALL TO HAND TARGET

GOAL

You will teach your dog to approach and touch (with his nose) a hand target from a distance of approximately 6 feet.

PREREQUISITE

Dog should already know how to TOUCH (bop his nose to the palm of your hand) on verbal cue. Here’s a review of teaching TOUCH.

BENEFITS OF TOUCH

TOUCH is a foundation behavior that has several useful purposes.

Some of the practical applications include, but are not limited to:

- Using TOUCH as in interrupt or redirect behavior

- TOUCH is very easy to teach

- Most dogs find this behavior (TOUCH) pleasant and fun

- TOUCH helps decrease mouthiness (teaching the dog to interact with a closed mouth)

- TOUCH can be used to teach more appropriate greetings

- TOUCH can be used to help keep dog in heel position or with loose leash walking

BENEFITS OF RECALL TO HAND TARGET

Recall to Hand Target is simply an extension of the TOUCH behavior.

Benefits of Recall to Hand Target include, but are not limited to:

- Dog has already built a positive reinforcement history to the TOUCH cue

- Helps improve a Recall (or COME cue)

- Helps with building distance to your recall

- Helps when you begin to introduce distractions to your recall

EXPLANATION

STEP 1 (Warm Up)

Remember: VERBAL (TOUCH), then VISUAL (PRESENT HAND TARGET

Give the TOUCH cue. Then present the palm of your hand to the dog – only a few inches from his nose. Repeat this 3x and each time move your hand just half inch or so.

STEP 2 (Move to Touch)

Next, give the TOUCH cue. Present your hand about a foot from the dog or far enough away that he either has to get up (if he is in the SIT position) to touch your hand OR take a step toward you if he is standing. Mark and reward for nose bops.

[pic] RECALL

STEP 3

Next, work with a partner. Stand facing your partner about 3 – 4 feet away. Repeat Step 2. Now try to gradually increase distance about 1 foot at a time. If the dog has difficulty in any way, just decrease the distance and begin again.

REMEMBER, SET UP THE LEARNER FOR SUCCESS!

NEVER LET THE LEARNER STRUGGLE!

NAME IT

When your dog is automatically either getting up to come to you or starting to walk over to you when he sees your hand, it is time to attach the COME cue. There are two ways to introduce the COME cue (see below Method #1 and Method #2).

PRACTICE

Practice this indoors first with no distractions. Then try it outdoors with no distractions.

IMPORTANT

Wait for the dog’s attention BEFORE giving the cue.

POSSIBLE CHALLENGES

MY DOG IS LICKING MY HAND, INSTEAD OF USING HIS NOSE

You have rewarded the dog touching his tongue to your hand instead of his nose.

There are 3 ways to correct this:

1) Each time your dog licks, remove the hand target for about 5 seconds.

Then, re-present your hand (the hand target).

2) Put your hand closer to the dog’s nose when you present it.

3) Place your hand farther away from the dog’s nose, so he has to reach / stretch his neck. Mark and reward the stretching of the neck and gradually shape that to a nose bop.

MY DOG MOVES HIS HEAD, BUT HIS NOSE DOESN’T MAKE CONTACT WITH MY HAND

Place your hand closer to his dose when you present it. This way the dog is almost sure to bop your hand.

MY DOG MOVES TOWARD ME (gets up or takes a step toward me), BUT DOESN’T TOUCH MY HAND

Decrease the distance and try again.

[pic] RECALL

RECALL TO HAND TARGET WITH TWO PEOPLE

This is the PUPPY PING PONG game. You need two people.

The object is to get the dog anticipating that after he receives the treat from one handler, he must immediately go back to the other handler for another treat (i.e. the dog is offering the behavior of coming to you w/o a cue).

1) Two people a short distance apart (dog determines starting distance).

2) Handler A gives a treat in the front position, then looks away.

3) Handler B makes silly sounds to attract dog (not dog’s name or intended COME cue).

4) Dog turns to head toward Handler B, Handler B marks intention and feeds in front position, then looks away.

5) Handler A repeats #3

6) Dog turns to head toward Handler A, Handler A marks intention and feeds in front position, then looks away… and so on. Now a little more distance & repeat a few times.

When dog is going back and forth offering the “return to the next handler” behavior, add the cue COME as the dog has begun to do a recall, Mark & Reward as usual. Continue 3-4 times, and begin to move the cue back in time from the offered behavior to see if the dog “gets it.” If not, go back to the last point of success. Once dog is responding, begin to slowly increase distance between handlers.

This exercise can be modified to teach a return to heel and side position after the cue is added and reinforced adequately. You would add a hand target to HEEL or SIDE position and follow the same process as in the first method (above).

RECALL TO HAND TARGET WITH ONE PERSON

1) Toss a treat away from the dog.

2) As dog finishes eating & is looking at you or making his way back, Say cue COME.

2) Say the cue TOUCH & present your hand target. VERBAL cue, then VISUAL cue.

3) Mark & Reward when the dog bops his nose to the palm of your hand.

4) Handler introduces distractions in a slow and controlled way.

5) Dog learns to ignore distractions while moving forward to touch a hand target.

Repeat

When the dog begins to anticipate the “giving the hand cue for TOUCH” and starts coming before you can give it – Mark & Reward immediately and feed right in front of you at the dogs head level.

Jamie Bozzi, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, ACDBC, CNWI, CC

Professional Dog Trainer and Canine Behavior Consultant

Smrtdog Behavior & Training

AKC CGC / STAR Puppy Licensed Evaluator / Tag Teach Certified

Jamie@ 619.246.5634

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