"touch"
I love the Touch game! This is a great one to teach all dogs and puppies. They love action commands, so you can use this in many different areas. You can use it as a fun trick - You can teach Touch and have them touch cabinets to close them. You can teach touch and have them do it on a soccer ball so as they touch the ball, they are actually rolling it back to you. I mostly use it in a practical sense. If I'm walking with my dog and I move my hand down to my side and ask for Touch - Bam! They are right there at my side. Right where I would like them to be while I'm walking! Pretty cool…
You start off with treats in one hand and place your other hand (palm towards your dog) towards your dog’s nose. You may have to gently touch their nose with your hand or fingertips the first few times. The moment you touch their nose, say “Touch”. Each time you do it, click or use your marker word and give them a treat. After a few sessions, start making it harder for your dog. Don’t bring your hand all the way to their nose, but bring it within a couple inches and let them stretch their neck out to start meeting your hand (so they are doing more of the moving towards your hand and you’re doing less of the moving). After they get good at that, start switching it up a bit. Try having them touch your other hand. Then move the position of your hand so it’s not always at their nose level. Maybe it’s a little higher so they have to reach up for it, or a little lower, or off to the side.
Once they’ve mastered that, you can start doing it AS you're moving. Like on a walk, or doing a short-distance recall! Have fun with it!
I used Touch with Winnie the pig at the Heartland Farm Sanctuary. The volunteers were having a hard time getting her to go into her stall to feed her. She knew when it was feeding time and would try to push through the door. It's pretty difficult to teach a 500 pound farm pig to "wait at the door" when they know it's feeding time! So, we taught her "touch" and used a target. For her we used a frisbee. We nailed it to her stall - The opposite side of the stall door. When we would come to feed her, we'd ask her to "touch" her target. Since it was on the other side of the stall, it allowed us time to open the door, quickly enter, and close the door behind us. We could safely enter her stall because having her go and touch allowed us the extra time. There are many other, creative ways you can use Touch - Have fun with it!
Giene Keyes
Giene Keyes is the owner of Moon Dog Training, LLC, providing positive in-home training, behavior consultations and group classes. After receiving “Best of Madison'' multiple years in a row, Giene sold her dog daycare to focus on her dog behavior work. Giene has been working with pets and their owners for over 30 years. She is a professional animal trainer and behavior specialist in Southern Wisconsin. Giene divides her time between teaching group classes and private lessons – Specializing in manners and aggression cases. Giene works with vets, rescue groups and shelters, evaluating dogs for adoption, developing Canine Aggression Management Programs, and educating staff on dog language and behaviors. She consults for dog daycares and training companies by educating staff on dog body language, cues, managing a pack, difficult dogs and much more. She provides behavior consultations for service dog organizations and rescue groups in the Midwest. She has been an Instructor with the American Red Cross in Pet CPR and First Aid, a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with the American Kennel Club, and a Licensed Judge with the WI Dept of Ag, Trade & Consumer Protection. Giene is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She routinely presents seminars on dog behavior and training, as well as chicken training seminars to promote team building. Giene has been a regular guest on popular Madison radio shows and evening newscasts. Giene has also been featured in numerous local magazines, including the cover for Wisconsin Woman. Giene is a published author (see her Chicken Training Book!) and loves demonstrating to people how clever dogs, chickens and pigs can be.
You start off with treats in one hand and place your other hand (palm towards your dog) towards your dog’s nose. You may have to gently touch their nose with your hand or fingertips the first few times. The moment you touch their nose, say “Touch”. Each time you do it, click or use your marker word and give them a treat. After a few sessions, start making it harder for your dog. Don’t bring your hand all the way to their nose, but bring it within a couple inches and let them stretch their neck out to start meeting your hand (so they are doing more of the moving towards your hand and you’re doing less of the moving). After they get good at that, start switching it up a bit. Try having them touch your other hand. Then move the position of your hand so it’s not always at their nose level. Maybe it’s a little higher so they have to reach up for it, or a little lower, or off to the side.
Once they’ve mastered that, you can start doing it AS you're moving. Like on a walk, or doing a short-distance recall! Have fun with it!
I used Touch with Winnie the pig at the Heartland Farm Sanctuary. The volunteers were having a hard time getting her to go into her stall to feed her. She knew when it was feeding time and would try to push through the door. It's pretty difficult to teach a 500 pound farm pig to "wait at the door" when they know it's feeding time! So, we taught her "touch" and used a target. For her we used a frisbee. We nailed it to her stall - The opposite side of the stall door. When we would come to feed her, we'd ask her to "touch" her target. Since it was on the other side of the stall, it allowed us time to open the door, quickly enter, and close the door behind us. We could safely enter her stall because having her go and touch allowed us the extra time. There are many other, creative ways you can use Touch - Have fun with it!
Giene Keyes
Giene Keyes is the owner of Moon Dog Training, LLC, providing positive in-home training, behavior consultations and group classes. After receiving “Best of Madison'' multiple years in a row, Giene sold her dog daycare to focus on her dog behavior work. Giene has been working with pets and their owners for over 30 years. She is a professional animal trainer and behavior specialist in Southern Wisconsin. Giene divides her time between teaching group classes and private lessons – Specializing in manners and aggression cases. Giene works with vets, rescue groups and shelters, evaluating dogs for adoption, developing Canine Aggression Management Programs, and educating staff on dog language and behaviors. She consults for dog daycares and training companies by educating staff on dog body language, cues, managing a pack, difficult dogs and much more. She provides behavior consultations for service dog organizations and rescue groups in the Midwest. She has been an Instructor with the American Red Cross in Pet CPR and First Aid, a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with the American Kennel Club, and a Licensed Judge with the WI Dept of Ag, Trade & Consumer Protection. Giene is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She routinely presents seminars on dog behavior and training, as well as chicken training seminars to promote team building. Giene has been a regular guest on popular Madison radio shows and evening newscasts. Giene has also been featured in numerous local magazines, including the cover for Wisconsin Woman. Giene is a published author (see her Chicken Training Book!) and loves demonstrating to people how clever dogs, chickens and pigs can be.
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