Nose to Hand Target teaches your dog to intentionally touch their nose to your hand when asked. While we focus on a nose-to-hand touch in this video, we also discuss other forms of targeting — including paw targets and body targets — and why targeting is such a valuable skill to have in your training toolkit.

This behavior is more than a trick. It can be used to:

• Strengthen recall and orientation to you

• Redirect attention when your dog is distracted

• Bring your dog back to you at the end of the leash

• Guide them through tight spaces

• Move past distractions calmly on walks

It’s engaging, confidence-building, and especially great for puppies and younger dogs.

In this video, you’ll learn how to teach the behavior step-by-step, add a verbal cue, build distance, introduce distractions, and begin generalizing the skill so your dog can use it reliably in everyday life.