Teaching your dog or puppy to Touch or Target is an excellent cue you can use to redirect and calm him, is fun and easy to teach, and is very useful in many situations (and as a starting point for many other behaviors). It is an excellent skill for redirecting mouthy dogs or puppies, or dogs who like to jump on people or dogs who don’t come directly back to you when called.
Check out this video to learn how to teach Touch
And follow these easy steps:
- Rub a tasty treat on your hand, then hold your hand out flat a few inches away from your dog. When he touches your hand with his nose click or say “Yes” and treat with your opposite hand.
- Repeat. At first, stay close to your dog’s head and nose so he almost can’t help but do exactly what you want. After 10-20 repetitions, then move your hand farther back and in different locations so your dog has to move to touch.
- After he really gets it, hold out your hand and say “Touch” or “Target” before he touches your hand.
- Over time, use this cue to move your dog in space (such as to switch sides if you are approaching a barking dog), direct your dog to his spot, or to keep him from jumping on you. This is also good for mouthy dogs and puppies to help them do something easy to earn rewards and learn appropriate ways to interact with their human buddies.