teach a paw target
Training a dog to target an object with his paw is easy and fun. A paw target is a foundation behavior that has many practical applications, including closing doors, wiping paws, ringing bells, and turning appliances on and off. It’s also a prerequisite behavior for many dog sports.
In this video, KPA CTP Michelle Wieser and her dog Timber demonstrate how to teach a paw target. Michelle uses a Staples Easy Button, but any object can be used as a target. Notice how Michelle maintains a high rate of reinforcement, which encourages a high rate of successful repetitions. Once your dog is offering the behavior reliably, you can add a verbal cue like “target.”
For more useful training tips, check out our blogs and the new Dog Trainer Foundations course!
Happy Training!