How To Train A Dog To Touch Objects With His Paw
This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!
This trick is teaching your dog the act of touching an item with his paw. This can come in handy for many things from switching on a light to ringing a bell.
- To teach this trick you can target your dog to a disk and then simply place the disk on any item that you would like him to touch.
- Any small flat object can be used as a targeting disk common ones are the top from milk cartons or a circle cut from card.
- Place the disk on the ground and draw your dog’s attention to it. He will probably sniff it first but soon try and poke it with a paw – when he uses his paw reinforce and reward.
- Add the command word and practice by reinforcing the same act until confident that your dog knows what he needs to do.
- Now move the target disk around to cement in your mind that he needs to touch it for reward.
Top tip; Move the disk around gradually and if your dog looks confused place it somewhere easy to rebuild his confidence to touch it.
Dog trainers love this trick because targeting to a disk enables the dog to touch any object with little further training.
