F3006 TOUCH & GO! – The Power of the Hand Target
3 WEEK CLASS - In case you didn’t realize it, you carry one of the most powerful training tools with you everywhere you go. It’s the best training tool and it’s literally at your fingertips. Yes, that’s right it’s called the HAND TARGET, that wonderful piece of anatomy that is ready and available whenever you need it.
Course Details
In this practical but intense 3-week skills class of low-pressure exercises we’ll build a strong, intentional hand target and then transform it into ten real-world, functional skills — while refining clean mechanics, thoughtful reinforcement placement, duration clarity, movement control, and
emotional regulation.
You’ll see how what begins as a simple nose-to-hand touch quickly becomes a precision tool you can use to strengthen existing behaviours, clean up foundations you’ve already started, and develop additional skills through transference that all feel effortless… but are anything but simple.
Hand targeting is more than a cute trick — It isn’t just “touch my hand.”
It’s:
- A recall booster
- A confidence builder
- A polite greeting alternative
- A leash walking reset tool
- A foundation for advanced heelwork/heads up helper
- A clean way to teach the concept of duration
This class is ideal for:
- Dogs who’ve completed basic obedience
- Sport-curious teams building foundations
- Trainers wanting cleaner mechanics
- Puppy owners wanting to introduce early skills
- Adolescents with chaos brains who need a way to refocus
- Owners wanting practical management without pressure
No prior sport experience required — just treats and a sense of humour along with the willingness to learn a “Secret Weapon Skill” most people underuse.
Teaching Approach:
Syllabus
SYLLABUS (Subject to change)
- Classic Clean Nose “Touch” cued
- Duration Nose Target (The Sticky Nose)
- Chin Rest (Calm Anchor or Start Button)
- Follow My Hand (Directional Following)
- Target for Heel Position
- Magnetic Heel (Moving Hand Target)
- Between the Legs Target
- Refocus - Targeted Distraction Recovery
- Targeted Pivots (Front Feet Stationary)
- Polite Greetings & Manners Targeting
Prerequisites & Supplies
Instructor
Heather Lawson
Faculty
Heather Lawson (she/her) is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA) and also a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), a CGN evaluator and a free-style judge. She has been training dogs and their humans for more that 20 years after deciding that...