Teaching the Touch

Hold your flat, open palm a few inches from your dog's nose, right at face level. Curiosity does the rest: most dogs lean in and bump your hand to investigate. The instant their nose makes contact, mark it and reward.

Run it again and again until your dog dives for your palm every time it appears. Now add the word: say "touch" a beat before you offer your hand, so the cue starts to predict the target. Then stretch the distance they cover to reach you — six inches, then two feet, then clear across the room.