Nose Target. No thanks

Nose Target. No thanks by Kay Laurence | Key Skills and Training Did I teach this 20 years ago? Oh yes. Do I teach it now? Nope. Advancing our skills, knowledge and understanding is about learning more, adding depth and changing what we do and what we teach. Advanced training is rarely about increase complexity but exploring the complexities that are within simple behaviours. Nose target is permanently off my “would teach” list Nose targeting where the dog presses, or bumps, their nose to the palm of the open hand or fingers is a commonly taught, regularly employed activity. It is used to bring the dog close to hand contact, teach nose-first behaviours and husbandry. Its history goes back to the earliest days of clicker training as an example of targeting, with an easy-to-teach attraction. I suspect it evolved from the exotic and marine mammal training, especially with sea lions - I am in awe of their exquisite neck muscles to achieve the balance point. I am sure this is a familiar sight, along with games where the ball is thrown at the animal who nose-butts it back again. I have visited collections where the animals are regularly introduced to guests. The safety protocol to keep teeth away from guest was the long duration nose target. The structure of the sea lions’ nose and a dog’s nose is different. Dogs cannot close their nostrils and often take considerable effort to protect this delicate and important organ from damage. When a dog is burying a bone, the soil is pushed with the top or bridge of the nose. Not directly against the nostrils. When I see one of the dogs playfully poke another dog with their nose, it is the lips covering the teeth that engage in the effort, not the nostrils. For whose benefit? We cannot excuse the process with “ he doesn’t seem to mind ” where the potential treat on offer and the training history outweigh any discomfort. Dogs, men and small children can all be manipulated to engage in stupidity for a short-term rewards without awareness of the long-term consequences. Boxers (as a sport not a breed of dog), get their faces punched on a regular basis and I suppose the short-term consequences support the “ he doesn’t mind ” reasoning, without the acknowledgement of the long-term effects. But I would mind. I have experienced the uprising dog as I bent over and I know it is super painful. There is a fashion to teach the heads-up heelwork with this nose contact to hand for extensive duration. Apart from it presenting an uncomfortable, nose squishing learning process it ONLY positions the head of the dog. The trainer rarely sees

that it does not allow for natural free movement and balance. I regularly see: ~ compromised action (when the hand is too high and the dog’s front legs are flailing) or ~ compressed vertebrae around the neck and upper back (when the hand is too low), ~ and the greater extreme where there is limited flexibility in the spine, a dog walking in a half sitting position. Target training is an exquisite process used to build accurate, detailed, complex or simple behaviours to every animal, but it also needs thoughtfulness and skill to engage safely. Many protocols or methods are now coming under the “I only train with positive reinforcement” label, but there is a gradual inclusion of the knowledge being used to manipulate dogs into behaviours that are not for their individual benefit but purely to serve the desires of the person. Training for dog-sports has often included a high cost to the animal, and we can now include Cool Dog Trick Videos as the new sport that compromises animal welfare. The dogs most easily manipulated? Colloquially labelled as “high drive”. Targets are REALLY cool Learning how to teach and use targets as straight forward, unambiguous cues for the dog is at the centre of thoughtful training. There is a rich range of uses where we can bring awareness to the dog of their own body, through isolation or immobility or enhanced movement. Stationing A location, usually in association with an object where the whole body is held stationary, or “on station”. I use platforms. Isolation Training a specific part to hold position whilst another part of the dog is trained to a different target or movement. This is perfect for developing proprioception skills, self-awareness, physical rehabilitation. Husbandry with chin rests This enables a maintained stillness of the head, with a free hand for treatment. It can be transferred to an object, such as a mouse mat, which can be placed on a chair, or a person’s leg, floor when lying down etc. Follow this We can teach a visual target so that the dog learns to follow and move freely without nose-squishing. Targets are one of the most versatile ways of communicating, from mice to giraffe. Learning good target teaching skills is at the very core of thoughtful training. A Day of Learning A no-training day does not mean he gets a lazy day lying idly in the sun. Learning is still happening and this is significant and important for his development. Read More The Experienced Dog Knowing your dog has receive sufficient preparation does not mean every eventuality, but a range of different conditions so that when the une

xpected happens they will draw on their skills and solve the issue. Read More Be-toothed Learning Machines The thing they don’t tell you is that raising a puppy is DANGED HARD WORK. Biting everything, peeing everywhere, eating anything; not for the faint hearted. Read More A Road to Nowhere When familiarity is stripped away we seek recognisable signposts that will take us back to comfort and security. This is survival instinct. It is worth listening to as it keeps us alive. Read More Don’t Let Them Learn Becoming aware that we share our lives with premier learners, dogs, is about saving you frustration, despair, anxiety and endless hours further down the road. Read More Surprising Puppy Surprising Puppy. With obnoxious moments. After introducing the obnoxious puppy as a youngster I am knocked over by the Delightful Young Man he is turning into…… Read More The Whole of The Dog We cannot divide training into compartments of fast recalls, or sit for greeting, or loose leads as everything we ask of the dogs is interrelated. Read More How do you know what you don’t know? The age of trusting the professionals is fading fast. I am not sure anymore what exactly is a professional and the difference between genuine, self-styled and fake? With so much information freely available and shared when we open the gate to “looking for a xyz” we are struggling to recognise authenticity from smart marketing. Read More Any Dog But a Collie After deciding I wanted to live with a dog, the only dog I ruled out was a Border Collie. Read More Approval or attention seeking? Jumping up is nearly always viewed, by both positive and negative trainers as A Major Sin. It rates near the top of the list of an undesirable behaviour. Read More Are you coasting? Are we coasting or are we improving? Is time so precious that we cannot invest in doing better? Looking at “Leave it” protocols, which are just another way of saying “no”. If we focus our training around what we don’t want the dog will focus on what to avoid. Focus on what we do want. Read More A Family of Multiple Dogs Another addition is not just an extra bed and bowl. It is important to build a home that is healthy, content and well-balanced. Read More 8 Comments Shona Moon on 9th November 2018 at 9:08 pm Just want to learn as much as I can to become a better teacher and dog guardian. Reply K Laurence on 10th November 2018 at 8:58 am Exciting times! Reply Amy on 4th March 2021 at 1:00 pm How would you teach a dog to push a ball for treibball without a nose target? ( Mine trys to push with an open mouth and I’d rather not damage t

eeth or ball!) Reply Kay Laurence on 4th March 2021 at 2:16 pm I don’t teach treibball …. for that reason. Reply Monica on 19th January 2021 at 2:10 pm Thank you for consistently stepping out of the”commonly accepted, good enough, “ to allow us to look with fresh eyes and new perspectives! Reply Rose on 3rd June 2022 at 11:39 am Very interesting. I have taught nose targets but my best dog wouldn’t do it she just whisker touched. The whiskers can be as sensitive as the noses. Reply April on 9th July 2022 at 8:42 pm I have a puppy that just started training and they are teaching “nose touch”. I also have an autsitic daughter, for whom a dog nose touch is a big problem, so we had already been training the puppy to NOT nose touch. As soon as I got home I started looking into alternatives. Now I know “nose touch” is not so great for the dog, either. Thanks to this article, I have an alternative, “chin rest”, that will be better for the dog and my daughter! Reply Kay Laurence on 9th July 2022 at 8:57 pm I am so glad you have found a way forward that is good for everyone. Reply Trackbacks/Pingbacks Target Training for Horses: Hit or Miss? | The Summer 2020 IAABC Journal - […] Laurence, K. (2018) Nose Target? No Thanks! Learning About Dogs Blog […] Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Δ