Training Tips
Making Eye Contact with Your Dog
1) Capture the behavior - simply wait for your dog to make eye contact on their own, then mark and reward them when they do so. Say your verbal cue, "look," when you anticipate they are about to look at you.
2) Luring - take a treat, hold it to your dog's nose, then bring it up to your eyes. As soon as your dog looks into your eye (or at your fingers holding the treat), mark and reward. Do this with a treat 2 or 3 times, then do it without holding a treat. Don't forget to give your dog a treat for following your hand and making eye contact. When they are reliably following your hand signal, add in your verbal cue, "look." Say it right before you do your hand signal.
Contact the Mountain Humane behavior team at behavior@mountainhumane.org. We are happy to provide positive training tips to create a lasting change in your pet's behavior.
Additional resources
Mountain Humane Dog Training Classes and Private Training
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