I like the idea that this trick is really accessible, and it is a foundation trick for all kinds of other tricks! Rad seemed to really enjoy this training session as well! I'd love to know if you've this trick to create any more tricks with your four-legged family member! Have fun with this one, and Happy Training! ~Ken
How can you teach a dog this that already knows high five and starts giving their paw instead of nose? I’ve been working with my dog and she doesn’t understand it
I really struggled to teach this to my dog before I watched this video, but she literally did it repetitively in the 5 min after. She is a 9 year old chihuahua/dachshund mix and luckily very food motivated. Thanks for the help!! ☺️
Thank you! My dogs all touch, but none hold the touch. I have always given the reward away from the target hand, so I think that’s why they won’t hold it. Will work in trying to fix this!!!
This is the first video that has truly helped me and Luna hand target effectively! We've eve had training sessions about this and it hasn't stuck until now. Will be training her on this all week. Thank you!
EXCELLENT! I've trained dogs over the past 40 years...but perhaps old AKC methods. NEVER KNEW OF THIS! REALLY WORKS.....JUST WHAT WE NEEDED. Anxious to review you additional videos. Well done. Mark
Got my puppy 1 week ago, he is 9 weeks now and have already taught him sit and lay down and roll over, he can do them without treats now. He still needs treats when teaching spin, touch and shake though. He is a very smart pup. He is an Australian Shepherd
I’m so glad I found your page. I just bought a goldendoodle puppy and I’m so excited to train her but don’t know where to start. I found a few of your videos and they are super helpful. 🙏🏽 THANK YOU
I'm not disabled, but I used to walk my dog past a button every day that wasn't connected to a door anymore, so I taught her "touch," and I taught her to touch and "push," then I taught her to "touch here" at the tip of my finger, then added a laser dot on my fingertip, then took the fingertip away and left the dot, then started moving the dot away from the post-it sticky note I'd been using as a target pad away from my hand. She figured out "can I have that" on her own when I dropped my sunglasses, she grabbed them, and I quickly traded her for a treat. Then we nailed down gentle grabs by focusing on laser-timing an "ah" on chewing behavior on held objects. I now had a dog I could hit a hat across the room with a laser pointer and she would bring it eagerly and carefully. That I could hit a button with that laser and she would walk up and push it with her nose. I used the laser pointer and her "push" command to teach her to close doors. I borrowed the grab action from "can I have it" to teach her to throw light switches. All started right here, at hand targeting. (Edited to add: seeing her walk change as we got close to that button on our route every day was the cutest thing. She'd get all bouncy, laser-focus on the button from like 1/4 mile away, and then when I dropped her leash she'd SPRINT over to it, stop dead right at it, make a deliberate and isolated move to make very sure the button was thoroughly pushed, and sprint back to me. She didn't even care if I brought treats, she was just proud of how good she could push the button.)
Yes, I agree with you, Jill! The best part is that in an instant, you are prepared to "capture" a behavior, or mark a moment where your dog makes a GREAT choice! Thanks for watching! ~Ken
I have trained all of my Goldens and Bernese to 'touch' as puppies and they eventually learned to retrieve for obedience (3 CDXs) and service dogs that I trained myself to retrieve keys/phone/remote as I have a spinal cord injury. Quadriplegic from a car accident at age 15. Anyway, for the first time I have 'adopted' an older dog - and a different breed. A 20 month old Yellow Lab from a good previous home (child very sick) and a great breeder. But the hand touch method is proving to be a challenge. I can't do the thumb/tuck option as a quad but I have always worked around that. The problem is that this sweet fellow has arrived as a hand-butter/licker and the last thing I want to do is to encourage or reward any attention to hands. I am trying to transfer this to a stick touch instead but he is too focused on the treats no matter where they are.
Video is well done and informative. It would be helpful to see the same thing with a dog that doesn’t already know how to do it; though. Also how do you avoid ending up with a dog that is obsessed with your hand?
Oooohhh, this has also helped with my puppies biting issues, and works for all places. Great attention grabber too. I also watch these dog training videos the more I dislike Cesar Milan.
I know you are going to think I'm crazy BUT i have a Singer sewing machine that I was getting ready to throw away and thought , hmmmm I can make it into a table and in this video THERE IT IS! Did y'all make the top?
Well renowned dog trainers that will charge thousands of dollars will teach this same technique as a staple cue to ANY breed. It's about consistency and continuous work. Most people don't want to take the time to continuously work with their dog so of course the cue doesn't stick. Some dogs are more stubborn than others, true. However just because he is working with a border collie doesn't mean it's any less effective than if you were to train a pit bull. I have a German shepherd/ lab mix and the I have a bull terrier. I'm sure you can guess who the more stubborn is of the two. These unlikely brothers have both learned this cue. Arlo, the bull terrier took a little longer, but he was able to focus after consistently working with him. If you have a dog then I would take value in this video that you get for free rather than paying a dog trainer hundreds to even thousands of dollars.
probably the same thing- where a reward is given every time the desired spot is investigated. if your dog responds to you pointing, you could tap the desired spot or point to it.
That would certainly be helpful, Emily! But the secret to that is to teach your dog how to learn and listen! Here’s a link that will be helpful for you: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QntS570VFZ0.html Happy Training! ~Ken
This is a great video. I am trying to teach my dog to push a button with his nose to ring a bell to come in from the yard. How can I adapt this training for that task? Thanks.
Hi thanks for the video! Can you please elaborate on this on how to get them to hold the touch for two seconds? I have a greedy Labrador who just wants to lick my hands if they smell like food 😂
Thanks for this video! I tried to learn my dog to touch, but in some way I ended up learning her to lick my hand. Do you have a tip to remove the licking and just have the touch?
Hi there, Marieke! Now that you've got the general behavior, you can start to discriminate between the good ones and the GREAT ones. Praising with a "good" when your dog licks and marking the nose-touch only with a "YES" and reward will help you to remove the licking from the trick. Keep your sessions short and fun and be sure to celebrate those great nose touches! Happy Training ~Ken
Ken, thank you for the video. When I bring my puppy home, and after teaching him to respond to his name, do I start with learning the touch command and then ‘look at me’ command? Or can both be worked on at the same time for short periods?
Great questions, Diane! The “look at me” skill can be taught during the same period as the target skill. They are very different, but you can begin to get attention from your puppy while you’re working on the nose target. The “look at me” can actually be used to proof this trick! The benefit of this simple trick is that it’s a really great way for your puppy to learn some problem solving, and you can keep the challenge at an appropriate level for your puppy by making the game easier or more difficult depending on his success! This is a great “puppy” trick for that reason! Have fun with this one! ~Ken
My dog tend to give me the look of help and just stares occasionally she try’s to shake and lay down even if I look at her then look at my hand she doesn’t get it most of the time 😂 I have a feeling this is going to be a slower trick for her to learn
Try getting her to follow food, Sarah. I would definitely try this at a meal time so you know she’s going to be a little more motivated. Simply luring her back and forth, maybe around in a circle then rewarding her, you will start to teach her that paying attention to the food is valuable. If she gets disconnected, make it easier for her to be successful. She needs to understand that even if she puts in a little effort she will find it rewarding! Happy Training! ~Ken
I have a shepherd so i figured she’d catch right on. She keeps looking for a treat. She’s not quite getting it. when her nose hits my hand she instantly looks on the floor like the treat dropped cause she doesn’t see it in my hand. Any advice?
How Old should your dog be to teach touch - my 10 week old border collie has learned so quickly but not this? Is this skill too hard for a puppy? Any insights appreciated. You guys are great. :)
Hi there, Spencer! This can be a challenging exercise for a 10 week old puppy. But you can certainly do the beginning steps and reward them for the “target behavior”. Here’s a link to a video where I talk about a puppy training schedule that you will find helpful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hpb7-dbjVSU.html Happy Training! ~Ken
My new dog only knows shake a paw and high five so far (and is very proud of himself). I am worried about frustrating him - how can he know the difference of doing a high five vs. what I’m asking when I want a hand target?
I taught my dog this command after she already knew shake paw and high five. I think it probably took a little longer to learn than it would otherwise, but no real issues. I did a lot of repetitions of pressing a treat into my palm with one finger and telling her the command, and since she had to press her muzzle into my hand to eat the treat she understood I wasn't asking for her paw. Once she had a good grasp on that, I started doing it without the treat in my hand, and only giving one to her once she did it correctly. The first few times she'd try to give a high five a couple times first, but realized that wasn't was she was supposed to do when she didn't get the treat, and started doing it right. Only when she had a good grasp on that did I start moving my hand around instead of doing the same position every time. A bit more confusion but then she got it. edit: Feel like I should mention my dog is 8yo, hadn't learnt a new trick in years, and is not nearly as intelligent as the one in the video lol. That's why I did the steps a bit differently to make it easier for her to understand, even if it took a bit longer in total to get to being proficient.
Question, my dog is a constant liker and he knows "no licking". So every time I say "no linking" offer him the hand and indicate to "touch" but he kinda just stares. Otherwise if I give him the palm he will just lock. Suggestions?
i adopted a 4yo GSD rescue and shes very reactive and sensitive (scans when we go out, never relaxed, pulls, ready to bark and lunge at all strangers). I got a behaviourist and they taught me to do this but she just stares at me and doesn't go for my hand (even smeared a thin layer of peanut butter on my hands). What should I do?
I'm trying to teach my 11 week old puppy a nose touch. I present my hand and he tries to bite it. How can I get him touch just touch my hand with his nose? Thank you!!
I have a question! When you use a marker word like "yes", as many trainers do, won't the dog get confused whenever you use the word in everyday communication with other humans? Like if you answer a question with "yes". :) I've always wondered
Great question, Isa! You may begin to notice your dog gives you attention if you use your “yes” in conversation even when you aren’t training. You will find that the inflection that you say “yes” with in training is different than it is in normal conversation though. That inflection is just as important (and in recent research maybe more important) than the word itself! So not to worry about using “YES” to mark those successes in your training! Thanks for watching! ~Ken
What if you've taught your dog this for a certain reason but are told not to use this because they muzzle punched a stranger that was on their territory yet its the only way I can get the dog to focus?
Hey Alissa, we LOVE these DIY Homemade Tuna Treats for high value rewarding. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5rVgHLnt4W0.html&t Happy Training! ~Dan
idk if it's just me but earlier i trained my dog to give me paw so every time i try to put out my hand all she does is give me paw instead of putting her snout on my hand.... Any tips for getting her to touch my hand with her snout instead of her paw???
Can you show how to teach your dog to tap their foot on cue, I am trying to teach my dog to count and teach some more math equations, how do i teach this???
Hi there! Yes, you could teach your dog to “Paw Target” Teach Your Dog To Target With Their Paw ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vM2yh1PpNjo.html. In your case, you’ll want to begin to reward repetitive paw targeting. So reward one at first, then when your dog understands the trick, wait to see if he’ll offer to tap again. And reward that. Soon he’ll be offering multiple taps and you can reward after he’s reached that appropriate number! Happy Training! ~Ken
I have a quick question about this one - we already use the command "touch" when my dog is working on her platform work is there a good alternate command word for this action? i dont want to confuse my dog having 1 command and 2 actions.
My 4 month old mini aussie shep doesn't touch nose but instead licks my hand, even when there's no food. Is this still ok? How do I get him to stop licking?
I am trying to teach this to my chihuahua but he will only touch if my fingers are pointed down once the hand changes positions he wants nothing to do with it. Im not sure where to go from here.
Slightly problematic when my dog a) sniffs hand once and then isn't interested again, b) offers a paw without asking in response to the open palm... :(
Hi there, Elina! That isn't problematic, that a dog who wants to do some shaping! It sounds like your pup is offering different behaviours to see which one they'll get rewarded for. It so nice to have that kind of drive in a dog! Make sure that you're rewarding with good timing. If your dog tries to target and you don't "yes" or click with good timing, they may be a little confused about what you were asking of them! ~Ken
Why do we start with the Yes and then transition to Touch ? Can't we just start by saying touch ? .... I need to teach my dog to stop jumping/nipping and also to stop jumping on counter to grab food
Yes is just a key word that is used for all training. If your say yes whenever he sits, lays down, etc he will eventually be able to do tricks without treats, because the word Yes is like a verbal reward
Hi there, Becca! You can refine the behavior that you’re rewarding for. Mark the nose touch a little sooner, before your dog begins to lick your hand. By marking that moment you’ll remove any confusing information about what your dog is being rewarded for! Happy Training! ~Ken
Use a dumber dog next time. Border collies are genuinely smart and easily trainable. So of course it's extremely easy to teach it touch. I want to see you do it with a Pitbull or Husky.
Hi there, Hannah! Make it easier for him. You can place your hand directly in front of his nose so he can’t help but make contact. Connecting the “hand touch” to being rewarded is ultimately the goal. So if you simplify things for him, it will speed up his understanding! Feel free to reach out if you continue to struggle with this trick! Happy Training! ~Ken
@@McCannDogs he seems to understand I want him to touch my hand but he doesn't make the connection between the word touch and the actual action. So he only touches my hand when I put of in front of him but doesn't really get the word yet. Is there anything I can do to make that easier for him? Or should I just repeat untill he eventually gets it?
That is such an important question! You need to "capture" the moment he touches your hand say "yes!". Before adding a command and challenging him to make the right choice, just "yes" and reward him for touching your hand. The key here is to "yes" that moment in time. That verbal marker tells him EXACTLY what he's doing right. once he's offering to touch your hand without any extra commands or movement of your hand you can begin to add your word. you'll say "word" then he touches and you "YES" that moment! ~Ken