TRAINING POST
EYE CONTACT
WATCH ME
What is eye contact? This is probably the first thing you should teach your dog, but it never is. Sit always makes the first. Eye contact, is teaching the dog to watch you, focus on you. You are the center of their world. Some dogs do not like to look directly into your eyes, some consider it a threat. Some dogs will look everywhere but into your eyes. There are trainers out there that have their opinions on this, and their opinions are vast. But once you teach your dog it is safe to make eye contact, and focus on you, you will be amazed how much easier it is to train other behaviors.
Cue Word? I have heard several used. "Watch me", "Eyes", "Look at me." I personally use "Watch me, and Eyes."
Hand Sign. This is a no brainer really, just "point to your eyes". You can point with the ever popular "I am watching you sign", two fingers pointed at eyes, or you can use one finger pointed at temple. Its your choice, you may also find another sign more appealing.
My method is as such. I will position dog in front of me, on leash of course. I will have a handful of treats sitting beside me and my clicker ready. I point my finger at my eye and say Watch me or Eyes.
The instant the dog looks into my eyes I click and treat. I repeat this process several times. Sometimes its hard to catch the behavior, because your eyes moved off the dogs face. So pay attention to the dog, and not something else in the room. Repeat, practice, practice, practice. Once you have the dog staring into your eyes and not at the treat, move to a different spot, stand up, or sit down, just move so your position to the dog is different that what you started with. Once the dog has eye contact down inside your home, move outside. Continue in the same manner.
Once eye contact is good, move on to duration, asking for a longer stare into your eyes. Pretty soon you will have a dog that is a champion at staring contests. After all dogs don't blink as much as a human.
Here are a few links to other methods.
Once again, once the Eye contact is taught, other behaviors are more easily taught.
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