If they know that they’ll be rewarded by listening to you, your dog will naturally pay more attention to you.Īnd never take eye contact for granted. In other words, ask your pup to sit before you give a chew bone or ask for a down before going for a walk. Particularly if you’ve taught them that the way to good stuff is through you.īe the source of your dog’s rewards and they will want to look at you to see when the next good thing is coming. Eventually, your dog should find looking at you as rewarding as looking at anything else. If your dog fails to look at you, you’ve moved too far too fast. When your dog has mastered “Watch Me” in a quiet environment, start training in more and more distracting locations. Tips to Encourage Your Dog to Look at You Rather, that’s dog-speak for “please calm down.” Take a break and try again when you can stay relaxed and upbeat with your dog. If you notice your dog is deliberately looking away from you, be aware that they are likely not ignoring you. And remember that some dogs are uncomfortable with eye contact and will take longer to pick this up than others. If your dog is not food motivated, use a toy instead and reward with a fun game like tug-of-war or fetch. When your dog is reliably choosing to look at you instead of the treat, add your verbal cue like “Watch Me” before you place the treat out to the side.Now wait for direct eye contact before marking and rewarding. After several repetitions, your dog should begin to understand the correct choice.As soon as your dog looks towards your face, mark the moment and give them the treat. Eventually, your dog will look at you to see what’s up.Your dog can now either stare at the treat or look at your eyes. Hold a treat to your dog’s nose then slowly move your hand out to the side of your body so your arm is straight.You want your dog to realize that the way to get the food is not to stare at it, but to give attention to you instead. You will give your dog a choice of where to look - at you or at the treat. Now you’re ready to build a single distraction into your training. When your dog is reliably following the hand signal, start saying your verbal cue like “Watch Me” or “Look” before you move your hand.You’ve now taught a hand signal for “Watch Me.” It can help if you stink up your fingers first by rubbing them with a treat.
Repeat steps 1 to 3 with an empty hand, but still reward your dog with a treat when they make eye contact.Repeat the above steps but reward your dog with a treat from your other hand instead.Mark your dog’s behavior with a clicker, marker word like “Yes,” or praise, then give your dog the treat.Your dog should watch the treat and be staring at your forehead.
If you make it obvious where you want your dog to look, it won’t take long for them to catch on. The easiest way to teach a “Watch Me” cue is to lure the behavior from your dog. So encouraging mutual eye contact is a great way to build your bond with your dog. The same thing happens to you when you stare into your dog’s eyes. In fact, looking into their owners’ eyes releases oxytocin, the love hormone. Some dogs, on the other hand, love to stare into their owner’s eyes. Teaching your dog to look at your eyes can help relieve any stress associated with mutual gazing. If you want to pass another dog on a walk, asking your dog to look at you instead of the other dog will make it easier to walk on by.įinally, not all dogs are comfortable with eye contact. A “Watch Me” cue is also useful to redirect your dog away from distractions. Getting your dog’s focus first, especially when there are exciting things competing for their attention, can greatly increase obedience. For example, it’s common to give your dog instructions, like to lie down on a mat when visitors come in the door or sit before you get dinner. Getting your dog’s attention is also valuable in everyday life. But one who watches you is waiting to see what you’ll ask for next. A dog that isn’t looking simply won’t see what you’re doing.
Influencing where your dog is looking will increase your success, particularly with lure-and-reward training (where you lure a given behavior with a treat or toy) or teaching hand signals. A “Watch Me” cue allows you to control your dog’s focus, which is essential during training sessions.
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