Have you ever heard of hand targeting? Many dogs can benefit from learning to target, which involves teaching the dog to touch her nose to an object — in this case, an outstretched hand. For shy or fearful dogs, hand targeting can be especially helpful in building confidence, because it provides a predictable way for them to interact with people.
In the video below, animal trainer Mikkel Becker teaches Roxy, a shy rescue dog, to hand target. Like many dogs, Roxy needs help staying relaxed around new people. She also needs a strategy for dealing with household items that scare her, like the vacuum cleaner — and hand targeting has helped with that, too!
Check out Mikkel’s advice for teaching this great skill, which can give your dog the confidence boost she needs when greeting people.
