The touch command is a great command to start clicker training. This simple little exercise can be performed while you are sitting in your armchair, while you wait for the kettle to boil or even when you are walking.

The touch command is an entry point for a behaviour often referred to as targeting.

Targeting is the behavior where the dog touches, pushes of presses an object. This behaviour can be used as a foundation for some very handy tasks like switching on lights, closing doors, ringing bells etc.

I use the touch command every day when I’m walking. I place my thumbs in my trouser pockets with the palms of my hands facing backwards and issue the “touch” command. My dogs have to maneuver themselves to my side in order to touch the palms of my hands.

I use this command to control them in excitable situations like when they see a dog running after a ball in the park or kids running towards them in the dark etc.

I rehearse the touch command every day when I call them to get their leads on.

So how do we train the touch command?

• Have a small container of treats to the ready. Hold your hand in front of the dog with your palms facing the dog. Click and treat him when he touches your hand.
• Perform this a few times then start moving your hand so he has to reach for your hand to touch it. Don’t move too fast in the early stages.
• Remember you are translating a request. You have to make your translation understandable so don’t over complicate matters by moving your hand as he attempts to touch it or placing your hand out of reach.
• When he touches your hand consistently in different positions you can introduce the “touch” voice cue. I train this command by placing my hand at the dog’s head height.
• Next time I move my hand to the dog’s chest level then move my hand to the dogs knee level and so on. By doing this we are helping to dog to interpret the request.

When he consistently touches when you show him the palm of your hand and deliver the voice cue “touch”, you are in a position to change the target object from the palm of your hand to a stick with a ball on the end (known as a target stick) or some other article.I use a “post it” note to start targeting.

• I place the “post it” note on a door and point to it. Click and treat when the dog touches the “post it” note. I normally start by standing 2 or 3 paces from the door to translate my request and set the dog up for success.
• Remember we are stripping the constraints of verbal language and allowing the dog to interpret our request. We can introduce the “touch” when the targeting behaviour is established. 
• From this point you should increase your distance and send him out to touch the “post it” note. This forms the basis of an “out” or “away” command but its incorporated into the touch task.

Once you have the dog targeting consistently you can progress onto shutting doors or ringing bells etc. Targeting is a fun exercise and I use it to mentally stimulate my dogs indoors.

It’s a great training exercise for the dark, miserable winter nights. I mentioned earlier that we can “sneak” in other behaviours while we are shaping the touch command.

I frequently use this type of training mechanism. We expand the dog’s repertoire sub consciously while he is concentrating on a totally separate task.

This is clever training using positive methods. An example of this is after we have established the touch command at distance we can issue the “away” command as the dog is running towards his target.

After a few sessions we can stop using the touch command and start using the “away” command. Voila, we have taught our dog another task and another voice cue with virtually no effort whatsoever.