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Using Targets

Using Targets

Targets can be a very useful tool in your agility training program. They can be used in a variety of ways, such as teaching your dog distance skills, speed on contacts and how to drive ahead of the handler.

A ‘Target’ can be almost anything. Some trainers use the dog’s food dish, some use a piece of plastic, some use plastic container lids. Basically, anything that the dog can see and can have food placed on it will make an appropriate target. The first step in using a target is to teach your dog that there is a cookie on it. Once the dog has learned that targets have cookies on them, you can use the target to get a desired behavior from your dog.

Targets are especially good at convincing your dog to move away from you (also known as ‘sending’.) When teaching a dog to send to a target, I place a cookie on the target, take the dog by the collar and show him the cookie. I allow the dog to get close enough to the cookie to get a good sniff, but not close enough to eat it. Then I walk the dog away to the position from which I will send him. I ALWAYS walk the dog away while holding the dog by the collar. I never use the ‘leave it’ command to keep the dog from eating the cookie. Dogs who have been trained to ‘leave it’ and not eat until released usually won’t drive as hard to the target as piggy dogs will. I like the fact that my dogs are piggy and thieves. I use this to my advantage. It is especially handy when using targets to get a desired performance.

When I first start sending a dog to a target, I will start with a very short sending distance. After showing the dog the cookie placed on the target, I will only lead the dog a couple feet from the target. I start by sending the dog a few feet and then with each repetition, gradually increase the distance the dog must travel to the target.

When sending the dog out to a target to reward distance work, the dog always gets the cookie. If the dog doesn’t immediately run to the target, I keep stepping closer to the target to help him find it. Then I will repeat the exercise but move the target closer to the dog, so he doesn’t have to send as far. I want the dog to be successful on the first try. If the dog fails, then I make it easier for him. As he pattern trains the sequence, with each successful repetition, I will move the target farther away. Dogs learn pretty quickly to move away from you to get the cookie!

When using a target to teach the dog to drive over a contact obstacle (usually the dog walk), the dog only receives the reward if he beats me to it. This is not a terribly hard thing to do for a dog. But if I have a slow dog who trots over the dogwalk, I usually beat them the first time. If this happens, I will grab the cookie off the target before the dog can get it. I show the dog the cookie, teasing him a bit but I do not let him eat it. Then I will put it back on the target, let the dog sniff it and take him back to the beginning of the dog walk by his collar. Usually, the second time, the dog gallops over the dogwalk, beating me to the cookie and gobbles it up before I get there. A speedy dogwalk performance is what I want.

Teaching the dog to drive ahead of the handler is similar to teaching distance skills. I will place a target at the end of a line of jumps, show the dog the cookie on the target and then take him to do several jumps. As the dog jumps down the line of jumps towards the target, I will say “Go on!” When I first start this exercise, I will send the dog over only one jump to the target. After he can send successfully over one jump to the target, I will start adding more jumps in the sequence. This teaches the dog to drive ahead. This is very useful for a fast finish, or to keep the dog from arcing back to me and missing the last jump.

Occasionally the smart aussie will figure a way to go around an obstacle and get the cookie without doing the desired behavior. When this happens, it is your job as the trainer to change the set up to ensure the dog performs correctly. I never give the dog negative feedback if he makes a mistake when sending. Often by repositioning the target closer to make the sequence easier or more obvious, the dog will perform successfully.

Dogs enjoy working with targets. They think running to the target and eating the cookie is ‘easy money’. I have gotten good results with a few strategically placed targets. I have increased my dogs’ lateral distance and they will now drive ahead on course when I can’t keep up.