Eye Contact
Basic Manners · 10 steps · by Push Drop Stick
Your Dog will learn to make eye contact with you for a hand signal or the verbal cue 'Watch' for up to 3 seconds amid basic distractions.
Eye contact is the foundation of focus, and a behavior that is **incompatible with pulling or lunging**, since Your Dog cannot pull on the leash or lunge at a trigger while they are looking at you. That makes it the go-to alternative for loose-leash walking and for dogs who get frustrated or overexcited on-leash, and it naturally develops into a heel. **Teach Your Dog this skill indoors first, as you will in this plan, before asking for it out on walks.**
For this plan you will also need:
**- A Marker:** such as a clicker or a verbal word like "Yes" to instantly mark the correct behavior. This bridges the gap between the behavior happening and the time it takes to deliver reinforcement, helping Your Dog understand exactly what they did right.
Training steps
Lure from nose up to your face
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Hold a lure in front of Your Dog's nose, then slowly move it up to your face. Mark the moment Your Dog makes eye contact, either with a click or by saying 'Yes!'
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hand signal
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Make a hand signal by pointing at your face, then mark the moment Your Dog makes eye contact.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Add the verbal cue
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Say the verbal cue 'Watch', pause for 1 second, then point at your face. As soon as Your Dog makes eye contact, mark and reward from your other hand or treat pouch.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact for a verbal cue.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Only the verbal cue
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Say the verbal cue 'Watch' and wait for Your Dog to make eye contact. Skip the hand signal this time! Mark the moment Your Dog looks up, then give them a treat.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact for a verbal cue.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Make eye contact for 3 seconds
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Say the verbal cue 'Watch', and as soon as Your Dog makes eye contact, silently count to 3, then mark and give a treat.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hold out an easy distraction
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Hold out a low-key distraction first, like a boring object or a treat kept low and close to your side, then say 'Watch' and wait for Your Dog to make eye contact. Mark and reward the instant they look up. This is a gentler version before you hold a tempting treat out wide.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hold out a food distraction
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Hold out a food distraction with one arm to draw Your Dog's gaze away, then say 'Watch' and wait for Your Dog to make eye contact. Mark and reward as soon as they do.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Hold out a food distraction on the other side
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Hold out a food distraction with your other arm to draw Your Dog's gaze away, then say 'Watch' and wait for Your Dog to make eye contact. Mark and reward as soon as they do.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Make eye contact for 3 seconds while holding out a food distraction
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Hold out a food distraction with one arm to draw Your Dog's gaze away, then say 'Watch' and wait for Your Dog to make eye contact for 3 seconds. Mark and reward as soon as they do.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Move around the food distraction
Setup: Your Dog is nearby.
Move a treat up, down, and side to side, then say 'Watch' and wait for Your Dog to make eye contact. Mark and reward as soon as they do.
Success: Your Dog makes eye contact.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Good job! You've laid a strong foundation for Eye Contact.
Now it's time to proof Your Dog's new skill. You can restart the plan using proof steps, or play games with the goals you just earned. Practice both in different locations and around distractions.