Justice’s “Touch” command is rock solid. Because it amuses me so much (and it’s a GREAT distraction from things that make her nervous) I occasionally grab a handful of treats and run around pointing at things and getting her to touch them. She still occasionally has trouble figuring out WHAT I want her to touch, and will pick something else randomly (mostly if I pick something directly behind her in the office, it’s a small room so harder to turn around) but more amusing, sometimes she offers up a touch without me asking for one — she’ll just randomly start poking something with her paw. So. Freaking. Cute. Also, guaranteed way to get my attention, so it’s got excellent feedback built into it.
Now that she’s so good at that… I’m going to see if I can start introducing it outside when she’s having a good day, and see if she’ll do as well outside as she does in. She enjoys it so much, perhaps it will distract her from the Terribleness of being Outside on a Leash where there are People and Other Dogs.
She’ll even touch walls, popping up on her haunches like a little totem pole so she can brush it with both front paws, in the standard “dog begging” position. Rufus, our old dachshund, used to sit like that at the dinner table. He’d perch like that for hours. I’m tempted to train Justice to do it on command just for the sheer “holy crap, that’s cute” factor. Granted, I don’t want to teach her to beg for food, but teaching her things to amuse me? Always good.
She’s insane, but holy crap do I love my dog.
Pictures or it didn’t happen!!!
hehe, kind of hoping to get a video of her running around touching things. :D