Touch – target training – Dog Training
how to teach touch hold out two fingers
and click as your dog goes to sniff your
two fingers dogs will naturally want to
sniff your hand if you outreach it
towards them make sure you’re clicking
the precise moment that the dog’s nose
is touching your two fingers because if
you’re too quick or you’re too slow of
the click you’re actually clicking your
dog from not touching your fingers so
make sure that your timing is precise
you also want to make a very clear hand
gesture so your dog is learning to only
touch your hand when it’s in the certain
gesture and not all the time
this is Rilo a nine week old puppies
first clicker training lesson and you
can see on this next touch that he gets
so excited he does a little spin when he
figures out that touching the hand means
that he’ll get a treat keep raising
criteria try the hand gesture in
different positions and from different
distances away from your dog if your
dog’s succeeding keep making it harder
and if your dog’s failing make it easier
if you’re having trouble trying to get
your dog to touch your hand try moving
your hand away from your dog or hiding
your hand and then representing it again
you can also try getting up and walking
away and clicking as your dog just comes
towards you if your dog is licking or
nipping at your fingers click just
before they reach your fingers you want
to add the verbal cue when your dog is
reliably touching your fingers every
time you hold them out to do this you
simply say the word touch before you
reach out your hand
approach your touch is a wonderful
behavior for many reasons one it’s a
great exercise for shy dogs to build
confidence with interacting with people
and being handled it’s also a great way
to teach your dog to come here’s a game
you can play after you add the verbal
cue all you have to do is throw the
treat away from you after the dogs
touched your hand and you’ve clicked to
reset your dog to come running towards
you from different directions make sure
to do this exercise on carpet or flat
ground if your dog is having trouble
finding the treats in the grass
here’s another game you can play can
your dog touch your fingers when you
hold them on the ground can your dog
touch your fingers when you hold your
fingers slightly above their head can
your dog touch your fingers when you
hold them in any location here’s another
great game to play can your dog leave
the treats in your hand to touch your
fingers the cue touch is a great tool
for training new behaviors and tricks
you can teach your dog to follow your
hand as a lure when you’re showing him
the touch signal to do this show your
dog your touch signal and move your
hands slightly click for your dog
following your hand for one second then
increase criteria so your dog follows
your fingers for longer and longer
periods of time
