‘FOCUS’ Eye Contact is an essential behaviour for controlling your dog. ‘FOCUS TRAINING’ is essential for calmness, teaching correct heeling and ignoring distractions. The command I use is ‘WATCH’.

When your dog offers FOCUS eye contact, they are evidently ignoring everything else. They are ‘focused’.

I start asking for eye contact & focus from puppies as young as 8 weeks. ‘LUCY...WATCH!!!’

Feed time is training time.

I ask my puppies to work for their food, starting with ‘EYE CONTACT. This is foundational to successful obedience training. Put your dog on a leash and fit your treat bag. Be ready to take high value treats in both hands. I like to commence this training by positioning my puppy in front of me as I sit on a chair.

Show your dog that you have treats in both hands. Let them smell your hands and the high value treats. Bring both hands up near your eyes. Say ‘WATCH’. When your dog makes even passing eye contact, MARK the behaviour saying ‘YES’ and ‘REWARD’.

I want my dog to anticipate the treat coming when they look at my eyes,...not looking at my hands with the treat.

The dog will look for a reward. Initially, your dog will look at one hand, and then the other, looking for the reward. The dog knows that there are treats in my hands.

Be sure that your dogs eyes meet your eyes, then immediately MARK / YES and REWARD. This is how you reinforce the behaviour.