Dog Training Article: "Go" Where I Point

Why teach "Go"? This cue can be used to tell your dog to get in his crate, in the car or off of the couch – very handy!

Do this exercise after your dog has learned "Name Recognition" , "Down" and "Stay"

Teaching the Basic Behavior, Go:

1.      Find a quiet place to practice and get your clicker, treats and dog. Put a towel on the floor. Put a treat in your hand and use it to lure him to the towel as you say "go". C/T when all four feet are on the towel.  Practice this about 10 times.

2.      Begin the exercise in the same way as above, hold your hand out as if you have a treat in it, but it will be empty (we will fool him a bit!). Repeat 10 times

3.      Continue practicing using the empty-hand. Gradually turn this into an index-finger pointing hand-signal.

4.      Practice cueing go and pointing to the towel without walking all of the way to it with him.

5.      Practice on other surfaces such as: up and off of the couch, in and out of the car, in and out of his crate.

Settle
(Teach your dog to go to a mat and lie on it until released):

1.      Put a mat on the floor.

2.      Cue "Go" and C/T when he has all 4 feet on the mat. While he is still on the mat, cue "Down Stay". Go to him and C/T.

3.      Cue "Settle" and then repeat #2.

4.      Cue "Settle" and wait for him to go to the mat and lie down before C/Ting (do not use any other cues)

5.      Increase the difficulty of this by: varying distance, distraction and duration.