Hey everyone!! I hope youre not going crazy being cooped up in your house. Sometimes it feels that way to me, so we go outside and enjoy the fresh air… the downside is that it has been raining a lot and it’s been very chilly, but its suppose to warm up soon.
Today I’m sharing the first steps to “Touch”. Touch is when your dog comes and touches his nose to your hand or another object. It is a great alternate to come because the dog has to come and touch you to complete the behavior. This is also a great behavior for dogs that are scared of things. Once your dog knows the cue you can use it to “touch” the scary thing (whether a vets hand, the vacuum cleaner, anything your dog finds scary).
First Steps:
You’ll need your clicker, treats, timer, and treat pouch (if desired). Find a comfortable spot to sit or stand. Hold out the opposite hand that is holding your clicker in front of your dogs nose. Curiosity will take over and he will sniff your hand. Click and Treat (C/T)! Take your hand away. Then present your hand again and when he sniffs/touches/licks your hand he gets a click and treat! If your dog doesn’t show interest in your hand, just take your hand away and present it again.
Your goal is to get 10 hand touches with clicks and treats in 40 seconds.
I will be posting the next step next week. Practice all week- just 10 treats worth of training/per each session.