Teaching "touch"...how?

BurberryShaw · 05-29-2008, 09:24 PM

I want my dog to learn how to touch. Can someone explain to me how to teach this?

Thanks

-Shaw

**Burns** · 05-29-2008, 09:41 PM

Do you use a clicker? That's how I trained my dog. Using the clicker, he learned the behavior in about 5 minutes. It was probably the quickest thing he's ever learned!

Basically, I held out my hand, waited for him to sniff it, and the moment he did then click/treat. Hold your hand out again, when he touches/sniffs it, c/t. And so on. Move your hand around, and keep c/t'ing for the behavior.

Once he knows the behavior, stop using the clicker and just praise and treat. Then phase out the treats.

It's a fun one - people love when I do this one in public. It's not one of the "usual" tricks people teach their dogs and I always get the "ohhh he's sooo smart!"

BurberryShaw · 05-29-2008, 09:58 PM

I dont clicker train....I just use commands...so I would just start giving the command and put my hand/treat where I want her to touch with her nose?

Then when I wanted her to pefrom the trick, after she understood, I would show her where I want to touch and give the command...?

Is that correct? ...

So she could eventually turn on/off the lights with her nose? thats the end product I want to produce. lol. baby step...baby steps...

usmcgrl · 05-29-2008, 10:25 PM

my two cents =] :

my method is very similar to the one you describe.

clicker training makes it a little more clear, but most dogs will pick this up quickly.

what I did with my girl was just hold out my hand, (and she assumed there was food) so she nosed it, and she got a treat. After she got the hang of this you can add in the command.

we're working on turning off and on the lights, what I do is I put my hand flat against the switch, to get her used to standing up and touching the light switch

once, she gets the hang of that, I would change the word to "lights" or whatever you like, and phase out the hand.

BurberryShaw · 05-29-2008, 10:45 PM

thanks usmc girl...very clear.

how do i get her to stand up...we're trying to teach her up by patting my chest with a treat, her sitting in front of me...but she's hesitant. any other way for me to teach her to jump up...that way she can jump up to hit the lights.

-shaw

BurberryShaw · 05-29-2008, 10:51 PM

sorry about the last part of that post. i just got sentry to perform up...she's freakin smart.

Lexxsmom · 05-30-2008, 08:32 AM

honestly a clicker will make teaching fun tricks a lot easier/faster. I don't use it for everything, but for commands like touch its a great aid.