Teach your puppy to offer eye contact.....Why
•Helps your puppy to communicate and is more likely to be listening if they are looking at you
• It proceeds all communication with your puppy
• Promotes connection and focus in training
How?
STEP 1 Learning eye contact
• Kneel down or sit on a chair next to your puppy
• Grab a handful of treats in one hand, let them smell your hand and then hold your hand out to the side in a closed fist
• Your puppy will try all they know to access the treats. However, when you see them look at you say your marker “good” THEN reward your puppy with a treat from your hand
• Repeat 3 times a day in different locations
Step 2 - Change position
• Stand up and do the same
• Change hands
Step 3 change context
• With you standing, drop a treat on the floor for your pup to eat, drop another, then another, then another, then…nothing
…as your pup looks up to you as if to say ‘hey! Where’s my treat!’, you say ‘good’ to mark the behaviour of eye contact, then drop a treat to reinforce.
Once your pup eats a the dropped treat, you wait, again, when they look up to you, say ‘good’ and reinforce
Step 4 Add movement and distance
• Do a couple of reps of Step 3, then start to slowly move to your left, your right, backwards….
Your pup will follow you and any time they glance up to your face, say ‘good’ and drop a reinforcing treat to reward the eye contact on the move
Step 5 Transfer to life in general
• e.g. if your puppy wants to go out of the door to go to the toilet, wants the ball to be thrown, wants to come onto the sofa for a cuddle, wait for eye contact, say ‘good’ and deliver the reward
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