Fear Free training tip: Teach pets to touch a target

A touch command is useful for the veterinary team and clients alike. It's a great way to have the pet greet and come to you, and it also centers their focus on you. This is helpful in situations where you might need to redirect their attention or move them to a different area, such as stepping onto a scale.

The easiest target to teach to? For dogs, it's your hands, but in cats you may use a spoon or a target stick.

See this training in action in this video with Mikkel Becker, CPDT, and Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB, DECAWBM (companion animal), filmed at the CVC Special Insights Seminar on Fear Free handling techniques in Kansas City.