I did some checking, via search and while lasers are used to teach retrieve and some K9 commands, there is a lot of negative information out there. evidently, because the light has no reality and is not a target they can relate by touch or smell, it can induce obsessive-compulsive behavior and even train them to go after lights, like those on cars.
I briefly tried one of the retrieve techniques, shining the light on a specific toy. No deal; he would nose the toy and even pick it up, but he wanted the light and dropped the target toy to go search. I could see where he could become obsessive about it.
Anyway, wanted to pass on the info to everyone. Just search ‘laser training for dogs’. The videos for Assistance Dogs are interesting....maybe not for a puppy, though.
Back to voice and hand training.
when we played with tcat using it, I expresssed that exact concern.
Watching him psychotically chase it seemed a bit cruel to me and I said to hubby that it wouldn’t take much to make a cat OCD or insane with one of them.
Apparently he took that to heart because I can’t find it, now.
We checked the pup’s response to subtle viusal stimuli with it a couple times and it outlived its usefulness, I suppose.