Target success

[chadsnyder]

Gilligan picked up target training pretty quickly, although he doesnt want to target to step up. He steps up for me fantastically already so I don't know whether to push this or not. I want him to eventually let my wife handle him. But he picked up shaking my finger last night so I am excited! I don't think I felt this excited when my kids learned to walk!!

[Michael]

If he understands step up just as step up, you don't have to keep targeting for that. Just split the two concepts. Step up is step up. Targeting is "go where I show you." Keep practicing target separately regardless because it is not only a useful training tool but also a way to get them to go on other people. Here's a great way to reinforce both target and step up if he can handle this already:

Target him some place, click when he touches the stick, have him step up on your finger by normal step up, then reward for target. This way you reward both target and inadvertently step up as well. Just make sure you don't do this until he is reliable at target or he may start ignoring the stick because it doesn't reward him immediately.

[chadsnyder]

Thanks! Can't express how helpful you have been already! I've noticed that sometimes Gilligan looks to see if I have a treat between my fingers before he responds and sometimes by showing him the seed, he is more responsive. Is this a good practice or not? I think the most amazing and humbling thing to me about this whole process is that while I knew he was smart before I began training, I'm floored by just how smart. For me the tricks have been a new way to interact with him and has really brought his personality out.

If you were to progress towards other tricks that would be next? I've tried putting him on his back, but I don't think he's ready for it just yet.

Again, thank you!

[Michael]

I've noticed that sometimes Gilligan looks to see if I have a treat between my fingers before he responds and sometimes by showing him the seed, he is more responsive. Is this a good practice or not?

Terrible practice. Guess what you're teaching him this way? Come to me if I have a treat and ignore me if I don't. Now of course at first this may help get him to do it but once you are confident he knows the behavior, the best thing to do is always hide the treat in your hand so it cannot be seen. Even if you're going to do ask him to do something with no intent of giving a treat for it, hold your hand the same way as you do when there is a treat in it. This way he never knows if he'll get a treat or not for the trick so he may as well just try anyway. Trying means maybe treat, maybe not. Not trying means no treat for sure. You want him to learn and perform the behavior/trick rather than just going wherever the food is. Good luck.