Good Dog Training Means Using Eye Contact
If you incorporate eye contact in your dog’s training for attention sessions then he will always look up to you for guidance and have excellent behavior. This type of bond will ultimately bring your relationship to a higher level. You will both learn how to read each other’s body language and emotions. He will learn to respect your leadership role in the relationship. Eye contact provides a deeper level of communication than can be achieved by training simply through commands and motions. People who have practiced eye contact have really seen an amazing intensity of focused attention in their dog.
To begin the dog training for attention exercise, you need to use your dog’s name as the initial attention getter. To make him look at you each time you call for him you can display a quick movement that will immediately draw his attention.
Once he comes to your call you should present a treat you had hidden. Always keep treats randomly hidden throughout the house so your dog does not grow accustomed to only following your command during the obvious “training time”. Instead he will learn will obey every time and you will be promoting a higher level of focused attention in your dog.
After you have his attention, bring the expected treat to your face, so he will be required to look you in the eyes. Only then are you to give him his reward. Gradually increase the time he has to make eye contact to get the treat. Repeat the exercise several times to make sure the skill is ingrained into your dog.
If he is a brand new puppy, you may try to hand feed him for the first few weeks. Use the hand fed kibble as treats during this exercise but as soon as he learns the concept, then you can wean him off the food and resort to praise when he does well. Always repeat each successful exercise 3-5 times to really embed the concept in your dog.
Once he masters the first exercise and the focused attention in your dog has been steadily maintained, then you can throw in a couple of distractions. Start by calling his name from other rooms. Make sure he meets your eyes upon greeting you there. Then play with his toy. If he wants to jump in on the fun just say his name again to bring his gaze to your stare before letting him join. Be consistent in every exercise you do so your dog does not get confused.
For the next stage of focused attention training, you need to engage the help of another person. Have the other person offer your dog some food. Before the dog can take it, call his name. If he makes eye contact with you, then take the proffered food and give it to him, hand feeding him. If he doesn’t look at you, then sit off to one side and look very sad. He should be intent on not having you sad, and should then give you the required attention. At that time, reward him. Never let the other person give your dog the food. Only you are to do that. After several successful attempts, you will know you have succeeded in focused attention training.
Once you have become successful in getting your dog to give you focused attention, your relationship with your dog will greatly improve. He will be tuning into your emotions, and you will learn about his personality as well. The two of you will be communicating and forming a strong bond. It is a very humane way to train your dog.