The “Touch” cue is a versatile, easy-to-teach behavior that can be used in various situations. It builds your dog’s focus, confidence, and engagement with you, making it a valuable tool for both training and everyday life.

Why Teach “Touch”?

Improves Focus: Helps your dog pay attention to you in distracting environments.
Provides Redirection: A great way to redirect your dog from unwanted behaviors.
Builds Confidence: Encourages shy or anxious dogs to engage with their surroundings.
Useful in Daily Life: Can be used for recall, positioning, and polite greetings.
Fun Trick: It's a simple and engaging trick that most dogs enjoy learning.

Step 1: Get Your Dog to Do the Behavior

Starting a couple of feet away from your dog, say their name or make a fun sound to get their attention.
Hold your flat hand out at your dog’s nose level with your palm facing them.
When your dog sniffs or touches your hand with their nose, immediately say “Yes!” or click with a clicker and reward with a treat.
Repeat this several times, with each hand, to help your dog make the connection.

Step 2: Add the Verbal Cue

Once your dog consistently touches your hand, say “Touch” just before you present your hand.
Mark and reward every successful touch with a treat and praise.

Step 3: Increase Difficulty

Gradually move your hand to different positions (higher, lower, or to the side).
Increase distance between you and your dog - not too much! Make sure to set them up for success.
Practice in different environments to generalize the behavior, slowly adding distractions.

Step 4: Use a Target Object (Optional)

You can teach your dog to touch a specific object, like a target stick, post-it note, or ball.
This can be useful for advanced tasks, such as turning off lights or closing doors.

Troubleshooting Tips

Dog ignores your hand? Try using a treat to lure them toward your hand. Gradually phase out the lure once they understand the behavior.
Dog thinks you are asking for “shake”? You can use a closed fist, back of your hand, or two fingers instead of an open flat hand!
Dog mouths your hand? Remove your hand and wait for a gentle nose touch. Reward only when the touch is appropriate.

Practical Uses for “Touch”

Recall: Use "Touch" to call your dog back to you.
Positioning: Help guide your dog into different positions (e.g., beside you or onto a scale).
Greeting People: Teach your dog to greet people with a nose touch instead of jumping.
Confidence Building: Encourage a shy dog to explore new environments by targeting objects.
Redirection: Use "Touch" to distract your dog from unwanted behaviors (e.g., barking, pulling on leash).

Training Tips

Keep sessions short and fun to maintain your dog’s interest.
Practice in different environments to help your dog generalize the behavior.
Use high-value treats to keep your dog motivated, especially in distracting situations.
Be patient, set your dog up for success, and reward progress at every step.

Resources:

Touch for a Fearful Dog- Smart Bitch Modern Dog Training

Touch Target Training- Kikopup

How and Why to Teach Hand Targeting- Laurie Luck

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