How to Teach Your Dog “Touch”: A Step-by-Step Hand Targeting Guide✋
A wet Golden Retriever practices the “touch” cue outdoors.
Hand targeting — or teaching your dog the “Touch” cue — is one of the most versatile, fun, and underused behaviors in training. This simple cue teaches your dog to approach you and gently bump their nose to your open hand, on cue. At first glance, it may seem like a cute trick — but “Touch” is actually a foundational skill with real-life applications for behavior shaping, impulse control, reactivity redirection, and recall.
Need your dog to come close without grabbing their collar? Want a way to call them off something they shouldn’t be investigating? Looking for a confidence-building cue for shy pups? “Touch” delivers.
Even better — it’s easy to teach and fun to practice.
🧰 What You’ll Need (Trainer-Tested Tools)
To set your dog up for success when teaching “Touch,” gather the following essentials:
Small, High-Value Treats
Opt for soft, pea-sized treats that your dog can consume quickly, maintaining the training flow.
👉 Zuke’s Mini Naturals
👉 Bil-Jac Little Jacs
For more options, check out our Training Treats Guide.Treat Pouch
A reliable treat pouch keeps rewards accessible and your hands free.
👉 Ruffwear Dog Treat Training PouchClicker or Marker Word
Use a clicker or a consistent marker word like “Yes!” to reinforce desired behaviors.
👉 Dog Training ClickerLightweight Drag Leash
A drag leash allows gentle guidance without interfering with the training process.
👉 Drag Line Dog LeashHeads up: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something I’ve shared, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I only recommend tools and products I personally use or love. Read my full disclaimer here.
📌 Trainer Tip: Keep your reward hand out of sight to prevent your dog from fixating on it. This encourages them to focus on the target hand instead.
🐶 Step-by-Step: Teaching “Touch”
✅ Step 1: Start With a Silent Hand Target
Present your open palm, fingers facing downward, about one inch from your dog’s nose. Don’t say anything yet — just wait.
As soon as they touch your hand with their nose, say “Yes!” and deliver a treat from your opposite hand. Keep that reward hand out of sight to avoid confusing your pup.
Repeat until your dog is confidently booping your hand each time it appears.
✅ Step 2: Add the Cue
Once your dog is reliably touching your hand, say “Touch!” right before you present your hand.
Mark and reward after each successful attempt. If your dog seems confused, go back to Step 1 and build back up.
✅ Step 3: Troubleshoot Hesitation
If your dog doesn’t immediately touch your hand:
Don’t move your hand toward them. Let them do the work.
After a few seconds with no response, remove your hand, then re-present it closer.
Still stuck? Rub a smelly treat on your palm to spark interest.
If your dog offers a paw instead of a nose boop, try using a closed fist instead of an open palm.
✅ Step 4: Build Distance and Movement
Once your dog consistently touches your hand from a short distance, begin adding slight movement to your hand. Hold your hand a few inches to the side, above, or below their line of sight.
Gradually increase the distance between you and your dog as their confidence grows. You can even begin walking backward and asking for a touch while in motion, or asking them to touch from across the room.
📌 Trainer Tip: Be sure to reset and return to basics if your dog hesitates or misses — it’s better to keep the success rate high than push too far too fast.
✅ Step 5: Practice in New Environments
Now that your dog understands the cue in a quiet room, start practicing it:
In different rooms of the house
On leash in your yard
During walks or park visits
At vet clinics, pet stores, or training classes
New sights, sounds, and smells may affect their performance, so be patient and go back to earlier steps if needed. Repetition in real-world settings helps the behavior become generalized and reliable.
✅ Step 6: Real-Life Applications for “Touch”
“Touch” becomes far more than just a trick when used in daily life. Here are some powerful ways to apply it:
Redirecting leash reactivity: Ask for a touch before your dog locks onto a trigger — it gives them something specific and positive to do instead.
👉 Need a full step-by-step plan? Check out our Leash Reactivity GuidePolite greetings: Cue a touch instead of letting your dog jump on guests. It gives them a clear action to perform that’s incompatible with jumping.
👉 Struggling with excited greetings? Read our Jumping 101 Blog for more helpful tips.Recall helper: When your dog is approaching you, use “Touch” to help them keep four on the floor, while preventing jumping up in excitement.
Body positioning: Use it to guide your dog into a heel position, onto a vet scale, or over to their mat.
Confidence building: Ideal for shy or nervous dogs — it gives them a job and a sense of control in new or overwhelming environments.
🛠️ Troubleshooting “Touch”
Even simple behaviors can come with a few hiccups. Here’s how to troubleshoot common issues:
👊 Problem: Your dog paws instead of booping
This is common, especially if your dog already knows the cue “Shake” or “Paw” — the visual hand signal can look similar, so your dog may default to what’s been rewarded in the past.
Fix:
Switch to a closed fist instead of an open palm. This changes the picture and helps distinguish it from a “shake” request.
Present your hand slightly off to the side of their usual paw-shake zone.
Be clear with your cue timing — say “Touch” before presenting your hand to avoid confusion.
Wait them out until they shift from pawing to investigating with their nose, then reward.
Once your dog is reliably using their nose, you can gradually return to an open palm.
👅 Problem: Your dog licks, nibbles, or bites your hand
Fix: Calmly withdraw your hand, wait a few seconds, and re-present it. Only reward soft, gentle nose touches. Keep your reward hand hidden so it doesn’t distract or trigger excitement.
🐢 Problem: Your dog hesitates or ignores your hand
Fix: Try these resets:
Pull your hand away and present your hand again, but this time closer to their nose for another attempt
Rub a smelly treat on your palm (just the scent, no treat inside)
Lower distractions and raise treat value
📌 Reminder: Don’t push your hand toward them — it breaks the behavior mechanics. Let them do the work.
👀 Visual Support Tools
🧻 Touch Stick / Target Stick
Want to extend your dog’s reach or use “Touch” from a distance? A target stick (like a telescoping pointer with a ball at the end) gives you a clear, consistent marker for them to focus on.
📍Use Case: Great for agility, encourage dogs to target specific locations, shaping movement, or training service dogs to push buttons or close doors.
🐶 Need Help With Training?
Whether you're struggling with leash reactivity, jumping, impulse control, or building solid foundations like “Touch,” we’re here to help.
At Channeled Canine Coaching, we offer:
Private in-home and virtual dog training sessions
Customized training plans for real-life results
Intuitive support that honors your dog’s unique personality and energy
Based in Alpharetta, GA, and working with clients nationwide online, we specialize in creating lasting change through modern, reward-based methods.
👉 Click here to learn more or book a session
💬 Let’s Connect
If this post helped you teach your dog how to “Touch,” let me know in the comments!
➡️ What was the trickiest part?
➡️ What new cue should we tackle next?
Your feedback helps shape future training content — and I love hearing about your wins!
About the Author
Jackie Audette is the founder and head trainer at Channeled Canine Coaching based out of Alpharetta, GA, and virtually servicing clients worldwide. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and a Certified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI), with over a decade of experience working with pet dogs, service dogs, and complex behavior cases. Jackie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and specializes in modern, reward-based training that builds trust and real-life results.
