Clean Run - April 2015 - 11

Training
the Foot Target

1

TOY

T&T

2

T&T
T&T

Step 1

Handler as reinforcement: If handler is
out front, dog (blue) is more likely to go to
end of board. If handler is behind end of
the board, dog (red) is more likely to turn
back prematurely to get to reinforcement.

Obstacle as reinforcement: If an obstacle is out front, dog (blue) is more likely
to go to end of board. If only obvious obstacle is behind end of board, dog (red) is
more likely to turn back prematurely to get
to reinforcement. Handler location also
plays a role here.
TOY

Toy as reinforcement: If toy is out front,
dog (blue) is more likely to go to end of
board. If toy is behind end of board, dog is
more likely to turn back prematurely to get
to reinforcement.
T&T

T&T

Treat & Train as reinforcement: If T&T
is out front, dog (blue) is more likely to go
to end of board. If T&T is behind end of
board, dog is more likely to turn back prematurely to get to reinforcement.

The concept of needing to move past a point of
reinforcement to hit a target, in order to receive
reinforcement, is one that can be taught to the dog
with a foot target and the Treat & Train.

TOY

Even at this stage I'm encouraging my dog
to look away from me as a source of
reinforcement and toward something else
Even at this stage I'm encouraging my
(the T&T)

dog
to look away from me as a source of
reinforcement and toward something else
T&T
(the T&T)
3

T&T

T&T

T
T
As soon as my dog figures out that hitTOY
T&T
ting the foot target is desirable, I immediately begin to alter the target's location. However, I still keep the target the
same distance from the T&T so that all
I increase the distance between the T&T
the dog has to do is move his rear feet to
and the
target (T). The dog does not
touch the target; he can still keep his face I increaseto footdistancehe gets rewardedT&T
need the
return to me; between the for
over the T&T (waiting for a reward) and and the foot target the T&T to dog does not
going away from (T). The hit the target,
to return to
I can keep my rate of reinforcement high. needback and forth. me; he gets rewarded for
T&T
Step 2

TOY

April 15 | Clean Run

First, I need to teach my dog that touching the foot target with his paw or paws is
desired. I start with the foot target close
to the Treat & Train and position myself
behind the dog, the target, and the Treat
& Train as shown in Figure 2. Because
I'm behind my dog, he will likely rotate
to keep his eye on me. But, because he
TOY
knows the Treat & Train will dispense the
food, he'll keep his front feet near the
Treat & Train and his rear feet will rotate.
When a rear foot hits the target, I press
the button on the remote.

T
T

I move the target back from the T&T so
the dog must move away from the T&T to
touch the target before returning to the
T&T for a reward, as shown in Figure 3.
I don't care at this point whether the dog
hits the target with a T&T or a front foot,
rear
or with one or more feet. Later, because I
do teach my dogs running contacts, I will
make sure they know how to touch a target with their rear feet.
I do not recall my dog back to me at this
point. He is just going back and forth between the target and the T&T with me "on
the sidelines" providing encouragement;
and, of course, hitting the button on the
T&T remote at the appropriate moments.
Again, as soon as my dog figures out
that moving away from the T&T to hit
the foot target is desirable, I immediately
begin to alter the target's location, still
keeping it in an arc at the same distance
from the T&T so that all the dog has to
do is move his rear feet to touch the
target. I move the target while my dog is
at the T&T getting his treat so that when
he is finished getting his treat, he has to
actively seek out the new location of the
foot target as you see in Figure 4.

going away from the T&T to hit the target,
back and forth.
4

T&T
T&T
T
T

When my dog figures out that moving away
from the T&T to hit the foot target is
desirable, I begin to alter its location. I keep
When my dog figures out that moving away
the target in an arc at the same distance
from the T&T to hit the foot target is
from the T&T so that all the dog has to do
desirable, I beginfeet alter itsthe target. I keep
is move his rear to to touch location.

the target in an arc at the same distance
from the T&T so that all the dog has to do
is move his rear feet to touch the target.

Step 3
Up to this point, I have not been sending my dog to the target. I've just been
letting him look for the target on his
own, in order to get a treat from the
T&T. I may provide verbal encouragement, but, otherwise, I'm more of a passive bystander. Now, I'm going to treat
each trip toward the T&T as a separate
instance of the behavior I'm looking for.
I'll start with my dog on my left and send
him toward the T&T, with the foot target
directly in front of him, but far enough
11
Clean Run - April 2015

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