The use of a touchstick in clicker training has many uses and once your dog is clicker 'aware' you can start this method of training.
First you must acquire a suitable touchstick. I recommend a wooden dowel approximately one and a half cms (half an inch) in circumference and thirty cms (twelve inches) in length. You can get these from timber merchants or D.I.Y. stores.
The idea is that you want your dog to touch the dowel with his nose when it is presented to him. Any part of the dowel to start with, the end or the middle. Hold it in front of his nose and wait for him to investigate it by sniffing and when he does this click and treat immediately. Repeat this action as many times as it takes for your pooch to reliably touch the dowel every time it is presented to him. The add the cue word TOUCH.
If your pet tries to take the dowel into his mouth just say try again, do not click and treat and repeat the exercise.
When you think you have 'cracked' it start to move the dowel around so that the dog has to move to touch it. Hold it on the ground so that he has to bend to touch it, hold it up high so that he has to jump up to touch it. Hold it against a wall so that he has to move to that location and touch. Move the dowel around so that your pooch follows the dowel in order to touch it! Be inventive! Always remembering to click and treat every effort.
Now start to use other objects for him to touch. Use your hand, a favourite toy or a ball large enough for him not to be able to take it into his mouth. Get a target and pin to the end of the dowel. I use the plastic lids made to go on opened tins of dogfood. Pin one of these to the end of the dowel or just use the lid on its own. Ask Fido to touch. Start moving it around all over. When you get good results take the target platic lid and pin it to the front of a cupboard which is not too heavy. Open it slightly and ask Fido to touch the target. When he does just that click and treat or even give a MEGA reward! Now go on to click and treat stronger and stronger pushes with the nose until eventually you have a very neat trick of Fido closing your cupboard doors for you! Larger dogs can even close your lounge or kitchen doors for you!
The dowel can also be used when getting your dog to do other tricks like spins and crawls. You do not have to use food as a lure in the first instance as mentioned in the basic trick training information. Only for successfully touching the dowel.
Also you can use this method for close heel work, finishes and getting to know right and left turns.
In agility you can use this for teaching jumps and weaving poles.
Another fun trick to teach your dog is to play ball with you. Using the same method present a large ball to your dog to touch with his nose. It should be large enough so that Fido cannot take it into his mouth. Click and treat for every good attempt. When the results are reliable get your pooch in the down position. Place the ball in between his front paws and say the cue word TOUCH. Reward harder and harder pushes and eventually the ball will start rolling towards you. Hey presto! You and your dog can now have a game of ball!!!!!
As before once you get consistently high results with the dowel you can phase out the use of it. In time you also phase out the clicker and treat in the usual way although I recommend that a really fine effort from your faithful friend is always worth a reward and a kind word from you!