The One Dog Training Skill That Does Everything
This 5-minute training game will become your go-to tool for doorways, recalls, vet visits, and more
The 5-Minute Training Challenge: Teach Your Dog Something New This Week
Want to know the best-kept secret about dog training? Your dog is probably bored.
Not misbehaving. Not anxious. Not broken. Just... bored.
And I’m willing to bet you’re looking for things to do together anyway. So here’s my challenge to you: spend five minutes this week teaching your dog hand targeting—a simple, fun skill that’ll transform how you interact with each other.
No problem to solve. No behavior crisis. Just pure learning for the joy of it.
Because here’s what I’ve noticed in my years of training: we tend to fall into a pattern. We’re all over training when we have a puppy—teaching sit, down, stay, come. We’re laser-focused on socialization and preventing problems. Then our dog grows up, the chaos settles, and we... stop. We coast. Training becomes something we only dust off when there’s a problem to fix.
But dogs? Dogs never stop wanting to learn. Their brains crave novelty and challenge at every age. A 10-year-old dog gets just as much joy from mastering a new skill as a 10-week-old puppy does.
Learning isn’t just for fixing things. It’s for enrichment. It’s for fun. It’s for building a deeper connection with your dog. Learning is for life.
Your Five-Minute Challenge: Hand Targeting
This is where proactive training gets exciting. Instead of waiting for something to go wrong, what if we taught our dogs new skills simply because it’s fun, enriching, and makes us better teammates?
Hand targeting is my go-to skill for this challenge. It’s quick to teach, immediately rewarding, and ridiculously versatile.
What is hand targeting? It’s teaching your dog to touch their nose to your flat palm on cue. That’s it. Sounds basic, right? But this one simple behavior becomes a Swiss Army knife in your training toolkit.
Why Hand Targeting Is Worth Your Time
Before we get into the how, let’s talk about the why. Hand targeting isn’t just a party trick (though it does impress people). Here’s what it actually does for you and your dog:
It builds focus and connection. Your dog learns that paying attention to you leads to good things. This becomes invaluable in distracting environments.
It gives your dog agency. Instead of physically positioning your dog or pulling them around, you can guide them with a simple hand cue. They choose to follow, which builds confidence and cooperation.
It’s a foundation for everything else. Once your dog understands targeting, you can teach spins, weaving through legs, moving politely through doorways, and countless other behaviors.
It redirects energy positively. Got a dog who jumps on guests? Teach them to target your hand instead. Now they have something appropriate to do with their excitement.
It works at any age. Whether you have an 8-week-old puppy or a 12-year-old senior, hand targeting is accessible and engaging.
Let’s Do This: Teaching Hand Targeting
Ready to accept the challenge? Grab some high-value treats and let’s spend five minutes building a new skill together. This one comes together fast, which makes it incredibly fun for both of you.
Step One: The Discovery Phase
Palm a few treats in your hand to get it nice and smelly, then put those treats back in your treat bag. Hold your flat palm out about one inch from your dog’s nose. Your dog’s natural curiosity will kick in—they’ll move forward to investigate and sniff your hand.
