Teaching your dog the "touch" cue
The "touch" cue is also known as hand targeting. There are many uses for this easy-to-teach behavior that redirects your dog’s attention.
Aside from being a wonderful way to engage with your dog, it is a great canine confidence
booster. You can also use this cue to redirect your dog, or to get their attention when called. It can be used to get your dog to jump up in a car, or regain their attention when they are distracted during a walk.
There are so many uses for the "touch" cue!
The "touch" cue
1. Hold your hand out flat and close to your dog's nose.
2. When they reach to sniff your hand say "YES!" and reward them with a treat.
3. Continue doing this, standing in different positions, until your dog realizes that it is their nose touching your hand that is getting them the reward.
4. Once your dog reliably touches your hand when prompted, you can add the "touch" cue, saying “touch” as you hold out your hand. Again, reward them with a treat when their nose touches your hand.
5. Start to vary your distance and placement, saying “touch,” and always making sure that you are not making it too hard for your dog to be successful.
6. Make it fun! They will think it's a game.
The “touch” cue is easy for your dog to learn and a great behavior to have in your toolbox!
We adopted Tank and it's great to see that he was helping with this training tip! He's such a good boy!