How to Teach your Dog the ‘Touch’ Command

‘Touch’ is one of those commands you teach your dog and, at the time, you wonder why you are doing it. It’s cute and makes a great party trick but why would you train your dog to touch your hand for a treat?

Well, much like last weeks ‘Look’ command, it is a simple way to get your dog’s attention even in amongst a ton of distractions or general chaos. It is also a way of improving your dog’s concentration, mental acuity, and problem solving abilities.
I use ‘touch’ as a warm up to any obedience training or running agility. It helps focus my dog’s attention while being a fun, easy and exciting ‘trick’ for them to perform.

Many trainers use a flat, open hand gesture for this command but I feel that is too similar to the ‘stay’ gesture and the ‘shake a paw’ signal. Instead, I use a closed hand with my thumb running beside my forefinger (not a fist where the thumb is in front of the fingers). This gesture is not used for any other command so cannot be as easily mistaken.

To begin, have your dog stand or sit in front of you and let him know you have treats. Use one hand as the gesture hand and the other as the treat hand – which is which does not matter to your dog.

While prepared to quickly give your dog a treat with one hand, place the other in the closed hand gesture an inch from your dog’s nose and say ‘Fido, Touch!’ in an excited voice at the same time.

His curiosity will make him touch the closed hand, as he will figure there is a treat there. As soon as he touches your hand, give him the treat with the other hand and tell him how wonderful he is! Do it again. And again. Now back your hand up an inch and do it again. And another inch. Again. Over several sessions, keep doing it until he understands what you are asking of him.

At some point, he will become lazy and not actually touch your hand. Do not move your hand or give him the treat. The point of this command is for him to touch your hand with his nose and by missing your hand, he is testing your resolve. Keep your hand still and he will figure it out soon enough. If ten seconds goes by, move your hand a little closer to his nose – an inch at most – and wait. He will figure it out.
Once he has figured out what you want from him, switch hands, move your hand far to one side, put it behind your back – whatever you like.

Before an obedience class or while visiting friends or any time where you want him to focus his attention on you and remain calm, make him do a few ‘touches’ to slow him down and make him concentrate. He will be better behaved and calmer.