How to teach your dog to touch your hand
A nose-to-hand target moves your dog anywhere without pulling: brilliant for walks and nervous dogs.
By Pawfessor Editorial TeamUpdated
- LevelMedium
- Practice timeAbout 30 min in total, over short sessions
- Reps per session7–10
- You needTreats
Touch is a small skill with big uses: a gentle way to guide your dog that needs no leash pressure at all.
Before you start
- A quiet room with no distractions
- Small, soft treats they love (or their own food)
Step by step
- Hold your flat palm a few centimeters from their nose
Frequently asked questions
What is touch good for?
Moving your dog past distractions, getting them off furniture or into the car, redirecting puppy biting and building confidence in nervous dogs.
My dog licks my hand instead. What now?
Mark earlier, at the very first touch of the nose, before the tongue comes out.
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