Target sticks vs. laser pointers?

Question

I'm in the process of training my 6 month old Golden Retriever to be my guide dog. A lot of the training we're working on now is based on the foundation of advanced obedience and even some agility training. We're doing clicker training and currently working on targeting.

We have a laser pointer which the dogs love to chase. As soon as they hear me pick it up, they both stand at attention waiting to chase it. We were just playing and I got to thinking about incorporating the laser pointer into the target training.

Does using a laser as an alternative to a target stick make any sense? What are the pros and cons of this concept?

My only concern is that if I was to use the laser, it would lose its playful purpose. I'll probably stick with the target stick but I just wanted to bounce ideas around about the laser as an alternative :)

*Please star for your contacts!

Answer 1

I'm not a fan of the laser pointer at all.  I think it does more harm than good. Not even for play. JMO

I would not recommend it for any kind of target work with your pup.  It will only confuse him and he is still in the learning process. I much prefer to have the pup learn the right way and then no confusion comes into play.  It is much harder for a pup to unlearn something then to teach it correctly in the first place.

Answer 2

It could go either way.

On one hand it isn't solid so your dog can't really "touch" the target. It's also been used as a toy for a while now, so the dog may think that training time is playtime now.

On the other, you can move it around easily and you don't have to worry about not being able to reach where you want the target stick to be.

I use the target stick for "heel" work and to lead my dog in spins or other things. I use cut out pieces of paper for "touch" work like when i want the dog to touch something with nose or paw OR for when i want them to stop on a certain spot/go to a certain target.

It's a good question though.

Answer 3

I see no reason why you couldn't use the laser.  I don't think it would lose its playful purpose if you also used a quick game of Chase the Laser as a clicker reinforcement.

Answer 4

Be careful with the laser pointer.  Some dogs become obsessed with them and will start chasing all sorts of lights and shadows.  This can make your guide dog an unpredictable worker.  So I don't think that I would use in place of a target stick.  There is the potential of causing too many other issues.

Answer 5

You should keep 'play' and 'work' separate as it will cause confusion.  If you use the laser pointer as a game now it is best to keep it that way and use the target stick for 'work', this will help the dog know if it is working or playing, and reduce the chances of him getting things wrong.

Answer 6

Interesting...I'm not entirely familiar with target training, but it's an interesting idea. You could give it a try; if they already think of the laser pointer as fun, the training may go even faster!

Answer 7

I agree with you on the laser losing it's "play" appeal if you start using it for training.  Additionally, I think it depends on what you are using the target stick for.  The laser could replace it when you want to target things on solid surfaces, but not, for example, if you wanted to target "up".  

Answer 8

I think the green laser pointer is the better choice.