So how do you prevent him from getting it on runs that he misses everything? Sca is pretty determined on food and would soon bee line to the target I think. He does have fun though. He was 'helping' me in the yard today while I aired up the trailer wheels and having 1000X more fun than me
If you really want to target train, the best way to do it is to start without obstacles. Just teach Sca that running to a target plate (CD cases work great!) is awesome because it has a treat on it.
Just start by putting a treat on the target, show it to Sca, then back him up just a step, then let him run to the treat. Back him up further each time. If he hesitates, wanders around, or can't find it, you've moved it too far too quickly. Make it easier.
Once he is easily driving to the target at a good distance, you can start putting it on the other side of an obstacle (like a jump). Start by setting it up so that he can't mess up (just one jump). Try putting him in a stay and releasing him over the jump.
As that becomes easier, add a second obstacle and so on and so forth.
Once he is target trained, the target doesn't always have to have cookies on it. You can have him race to a target plate and if he does the sequence correctly, YOU can add the food to the target afterwards (quickly thereafter, of course). That way if he's just rushing to the food and not thinking about his job (the obstacles), he gets nothing.