This page is part of the Auxiliary Section of the Beginner's Course of the
D.S. Dog Training Workshop - an element of the Dog Science Network
Using Physical Touch as a Reinforcer
To the extent that your dog finds it rewarding for your to touch him, you can use physical contact as a reinforcer with which you can increase the frequency of any desirable responses you may be attempting to foster. For example, if your dog likes for you to scratch his lower back, then, by scratching that spot every time he makes the target response, you can cause him to make the desired response more often. However, just how effective touch will be as a reinforcer depends on your dog's history.
Just patting your dog on the head a time or two, or giving him a quick hug will not have much of an impact on the animal unless he has been long deprived of physical contact. However, for the average dog who experiences a fair amount of touch and social interaction in his daily life, you are only going to be able to influence him to a limited degree through simple touch.
The wise dog handler will take the time necessary to learn to touch his dog in ways that will send waves of pleasurable relaxation pulsing through the animal. If you doubt that it can be done, sign yourself up for a session with a highly skilled professional masseuse and you will see what I mean.
The more intense a reinforcer is, the more effective it will be. Therefore, if you want to get good at motivating your dog, you will need to take the time to get good at touching him.