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Why teach "Touch"

  • Helps with focus

    "Touch" is a useful technique that can help your dog to focus and pay attention to you. By touching a specific target, your dog learns to tune out distractions and focus on the task at hand.

  • Increases communication

    "Touch" provides a clear and consistent way to communicate with your dog. Once your dog has learned "Touch" you can use it to direct their attention and even signal when it's time to come inside.

  • Increases confidence

    Learning new cues and tricks can be fun and rewarding for dogs, and "Touch" is no exception. As your dog becomes more confident in their ability to touch a target, they may become more willing to try new things and take on new challenges.

  • Prepares for advanced training

    "Touch" is often used as a foundation behavior for more complex tricks and obedience training. By mastering this basic skill, your dog will be better equipped to learn other behaviors and follow more advanced commands.

Touch - Level 1

Setting your dog up for success


When teaching “Touch” it's really important to set up your dog’s training environment to help them be successful. This means determining what reward you'll use when practicing (e.g. treat, piece of kibble, butt scratch) and where you'll practice. You want to choose a quiet area with no distractions until they have a good grasp of the behavior.


Objective


The objective of level 1 is for your dog to reliably touch your fingers when you extend them.


Follow these steps when practicing level 1


• Sit on a chair with a handful of treats in your pouch or pocket


• Make sure the treats are not visible to your dog 


• Extend your right arm, keep 2 fingers together, and hold your fingers a few inches from your dog’s nose 


• The moment your dog touches your fingers with their nose, say “Yes” and give your dog a treat 


• Once your dog is successfully touching your fingers 10 times per minute, increase the difficulty by moving your fingers slightly farther away 


• Remember to always say “Yes” and provide a treat immediately after your dog touches your fingers.


Pro tip


If your dog isn’t food motivated, substitute treats for a toy, petting or praise.


Touch - Level 2

Note: Only move onto level 2 after your dog is reliably touching your fingers when you extend them.

Objective

The objective of level 2 is for your dog to reliably touch your fingers when you say "Touch"

Follow these steps when practicing level 2

• Sit or stand a couple of feet away from your dog 

• Make sure you have treats available, but not visible to your dog 

• Extend your right arm, keep two fingers together, and say "Touch!" 

•  The moment your dog touches your fingers with their nose say "Yes" and give your dog a treat 

• Once your dog is successfully touching your fingers 10 times per minute, increase the difficulty by asking your dog for a "Touch" when they're looking in the opposite direction 

• Remember to always say “Yes” and provide a treat immediately after your dog touches your fingers

Example

Kate at School for the Dogs practicing "Touch" with Milo


Products we love

• Lamb lung. Dogs love these treats and they're perfect because they're very small.

• Treat pouch. A pouch is a great place to hold your treats during a training session or on a walk.