 Getting your dog to look you in the eyes |
From the Free SitStay Newsletter |
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"How do I get my dog to look at me? She walks away when I call her, training is non-existent because I can’t get her to pay attention to me!! Can you help?" Most dogs are motivated by food, yummy treats are great to get started. But my dog doesn’t like treats! Then use his breakfast and dinner, a bite at a time. Dogs who love food and will work for treats are easy to train. There are some dogs who don’t take treats as easily or at all, those are the dogs we trick into training. “Hey, Buddy, want some breakfast?” Ears go up, eyes on you or the can opener, instant attention. Hand feed the dog every morsel, every bite, for the next 21 days. If you feed raw or dry kibble, this is easy and will take about 5 minutes for each meal. If you feed canned dog food, offer it with your fingers or a spoon. Yes, you’ll be feeding them canned food as if they were little babies. You are standing relaxed, a bowl of food beside you on the counter. Take a bite of food into your hand or spoon, gaze at your dog’s eyes. Don’t stare. This is important. Gazing uses a soft eye, like you’d use to look at your lover or your baby. And for Heaven sakes, look happy. This is a happy time and a soft smile will soften your eyes. Practice while looking in the mirror. Frown or stare hard and look at your eyes; they look “hard”. Now smile and relax; instant soft eyes. Practice makes perfect.You have a bite of food in your hand, touch the end of your nose with your index finger, stay quiet, stay relaxed, no words, keep soft eyes on the dog’s eyes, and then just wait. The dog’s eyes will follow your finger to your nose. Instantly toss the kibble to the floor about three feet away (if using a spoon, let the dog lick the spoon clean each time.) Dog goes to get kibble and comes back to see if you’ll do it again. You will. Again and again. Soon your dog will be looking at your face for the next bite, then at your eyes for the next bite. Attention, just like that. When your dog is looking at your face consistently, start waiting for her to look into your eyes. Then ask for other behavior or let them offer it. Have fun. Your dog may even start offering you behaviors very soon: sit, down, back up, bark, tilt their heads, shake, one paw up, anything to get you to toss the next bite. At first reward only for the eyes looking toward your face, then for eyes to eyes, then give them a bite for everything they offer you. Sit, bite. Down, bite. Tilt of the head or other very cute thing, bite. After a while, add a word to each behavior as quickly as you can see what is going to happen. Dog is going to sit, say “sit” just as her little butt hits the floor, and give a bite when she it does. Soon you will be training with the experts and your dog will love playing with you. After you have your dog looking at your eyes, go one more step. With every bite, say the dog’s name. Say it loud, scream it, whisper it, sound crazy, sound like a little kid, sound like an old lady. Your dog will eventually look at you when you say her name, no matter what she is doing. You want her to look at you when you say her name no matter what she is doing. And her name should always have positive rewards: play, food, treats, chews, running, walk, petting, toys, something good. Never say your dog’s name if you are mad at her, you’ll set your trust back 21 days. She has to trust that when you say her name, something good is coming to her. This could save her life one day when she’s started to run into the street, a car is coming, and you have lost your mind screaming “Boopsie, no!” at the top of your lungs. Boopsie will turn and come back to you with a smile on her face. Nothing should be free in a dog’s world, not food, not even naps. No more free food, no more free treats. Ask for something, and then give it with a smile and a warm voice. Dog is napping; stop to lay your hands on with love. “No, don’t get up, Girl. I was just rewarding you for lying here quietly.” Dog Training Tips |
