Targeting

[peter.glynn]

I am just starting targeting how to you know long it takes do you count or use a stop watch.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

A stop watch or timer may be your best bet because it's difficult to count while you need to be focus on what your dog is doing along with juggling with a target stick, clicking and rewarding. A helper comes handy if you want somebody counting for you.

[peter.glynn]

If your using a stop watch and you have your target stick and clicker in one hand and treats in the other how do you hold and stop and start it.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

That's where a helper comes handy, he/she may count or hold the stopwatch/timer and activate it for you. If you have a watch in your wrist, you can start it and quickly proceed to do the exercise ( although you may lose a split second or a second), or alternatively, you can record your exercises and see how long it takes after watching it.

[peter.glynn]

There's only me doing the training as the wife is working most of the time I do have a watch with a stopwatch function so will have to see how it goes.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Another option would be a timer, like an egg timer starting it with 5-10 extra seconds (just enough for your to get back to your dog with all the necessary items ready in your hands and get started).

[peter.glynn]

Hi Adrienne

The Targeting how often should i do it he you how to touch the target stick instead of saying target i say touch should i change that to target.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Since your puppy tends to nip/bite, you can use targeting as a way to shift his focus from biting hands to nose touching them. You can do several reps using a portion of your pup's kibble tossed away from you as a reward. You can schedule several training sessions (like 3 times a day) of various commands/brain games lasting 5-10 minutes each switching commands/games to prevent your smart border collie from getting bored. Of course, this is just a general guideline, some puppies may do well with more sessions while for others this may be enough. Watch your puppy for signs of getting bored/tired and if you notice any, cut the sessions short next time before reaching this point. Always end training on a positive note (letting your puppy do something correctly and praising rewarding).

 

You can use any verbal cue (touch, target) as long as it's only used for that exercise and it doesn't sound too similar to other verbal cues.

Happy training!