Touch (Nose Target)
Teaching Bryn to boop her nose to your palm on cue — a versatile behavior used for recall, positioning, and confidence building.
Adolescent Note
Touch is one of the most useful behaviors for managing an adolescent dog. Use it as a redirect (touch instead of jumping on a guest), a recall alternative (touch is more specific than 'come'), and a confidence builder (touch near scary things). The specificity of a physical target often cuts through adolescent brain fog better than abstract cues.
Training Stages
Teach Bryn that touching her nose to your palm earns a reward.
- Present your flat palm about 6 inches from Bryn's nose.
- Most dogs will naturally investigate the hand with their nose. The instant her nose touches your palm, mark and treat.
- If she doesn't touch, rub a treat on your palm to make it interesting, or hold your hand slightly behind her nose so she turns into it.
- Repeat until she's eagerly booping your palm whenever it's presented.
Advance When
Bryn touches her nose to your palm 9 out of 10 times within 2 seconds of the hand being presented.
Watch Out
Moving your hand to meet her nose — hold still and let her come to you.
Holding your hand too far away at first. Start 6 inches from her nose and build distance later.
Tips
Touch is one of the fastest tricks to teach. Many dogs 'get it' in a single session.
Use both hands from the start so she'll target either palm.
Build distance to the hand target and pair with a verbal cue.
- Say "touch" then present your palm. Mark and treat the nose boop.
- Gradually increase the distance: 6 inches → 1 ft → 3 ft → across the room.
- Practice with your hand in different positions: high, low, to the side.
- She should move TO your hand from wherever she is.
Advance When
Bryn crosses a room to touch your palm on the verbal cue, 8 out of 10 times.
Watch Out
Only practicing at nose height. Vary the position — high, low, left, right.
Not building enough distance. Touch at distance is essentially a recall with a specific endpoint.
Tips
Touch is a secret recall weapon: if 'come' fails, 'touch' often works because it gives her a specific physical target.
You can transfer the touch to other objects: target sticks, Post-it notes, specific spots on the floor.
Use touch in real-life contexts for positioning, confidence, and recall.
- Use touch to move Bryn into position: 'touch' to guide her through a door, into a crate, onto a scale at the vet.
- Use touch around scary objects: if she's nervous about something, ask for a touch near (not on) the object.
- Use touch as a recall alternative: great for getting her attention in exciting environments.
- Practice touch with different people — have friends and family present their palms.
Advance When
Bryn responds to touch in real-life contexts and can be guided into positions using the hand target.
Watch Out
Only using touch as a trick, not a tool. It's one of the most versatile behaviors you can teach.
Using touch to force her near scary things. Pair it with choice — she can touch and retreat.
Tips
Touch is invaluable at the vet. You can guide her onto the scale, into position, and keep her focused without force.
For cooperative care: teach her to hold her nose on your palm for duration. This becomes a 'consent button' for handling.
Proofing — The 3 Ds
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Duration
Build a 'sustained touch' (nose pressed to palm for 2–3 seconds) for cooperative care applications.
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Distance
1 ft → 5 ft → 10 ft → across the room → from another room.
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Distraction
Practice in new environments, around other dogs, at the vet.
Generalization
Practice with different hand positions, in every location, and with different people. Transfer the target to objects (target stick, Post-it note) for advanced positioning work.
Troubleshooting
Bryn licks instead of touching
Mark and reward only firm nose touches, not licks. Present your palm briefly and withdraw it after the touch to prevent lingering licks.
Bryn won't touch in new environments
Too much distraction. Start with your hand very close (6 inches) in the new environment and rebuild distance. High-value treats help.
Related Skills
Name/Focus (Watch Me)
Teaching Bryn to look at you when she hears her name — the gateway to every other skill.
Recall (Come)
Teaching Bryn to come reliably when called — the most important safety skill you'll teach.