Today, we'll add a new lesson. This is a fun, easy one, but so important when it comes to training down the road. We are going to teach your puppy to focus his eyes on your face, regardless of treats, distractions, etc. (Photo Courtesy - Marilyn Peddle)
To start out training the focus, choose a moment when your puppy is engaging with you and you have something he wants. For example, you are holding his food dish, or you are holding up a toy that he wants to play with. Move the toy/food/treat mid-way up your chest (i.e. nearer your face), point your pointer finger at your face and freeze. This pointer finger will become a physical cue later. The moment your pup looks away from the item and looks at your eyes, say "yes!" and give him the item. You can also use a clicker here. You need a sound that signals the pup. "Yes!" or a click works equally well. Click the moment your pup makes eye contact. You can start this from a sitting position, either in a chair or on the floor. Make sure your puppy can't get the reward until you release it. If your pup is large and jumps up, turn slowly to the side so his paws slide back onto the floor. Do not knee or kick him. He is focused on getting the reward and he'll soon figure out that jumping doesn't work.
If your puppy is having an especially hard time figuring out that you want him to look at your eyes, you can move your hand up closer to your face and then reward when he makes eye contact. I prefer keeping my hand away from my face as this makes it clearer to the puppy that you want him to look at your eyes, not the treat. But to start out, if you need to, you can use the treat as a lure. Continue then with the steps below.
Step 2 - Add Cue and Time - Once your pup is looking at you and focusing on your face and eyes quickly, add in a verbal cue along with your pointer finger cue. "Watch me" or "Focus" are great. Your pup will be naturally watching your face more even without the cue, but it can be handy to ask for the behavior at certain times (like when he spots a dog across the street and gets distracted). Say the cue when your dog makes eye-contact. If you are able, try to anticipate when your dog will look at you and say it a millisecond before.
Begin to ask for eye contact a few seconds longer and reward. If the pup breaks eye-contact before you say "yes", you've gone too long. Shorten the time you expect each time. Start out with a few milliseconds more and gradually add time. If at any point, the pup starts failing too often (more then every great once in awhile) take a step back and make sure his response is more solid before moving on.
Step 3 - Increase Difficulty (Distractions) - Now, instead of moving the toy/food/treat halfway up your chest, leave the treat in a treat pouch and use your empty hand (with pointer finger) as a cue. Continue to use your verbal cue as well. Add distractions in gradually. Perhaps work on "focus" outside. Remember that when dogs move to a new area, they often have to go back in training a couple steps. Don't worry, your pup hasn't relapsed. He's just learning that the "focus" behavior also applies outside. Continue to add new distractions as your pup continues successfully "focusing" on you for longer and longer periods of time. At this young age, continue to reward every time. You will space out treats later on, but not yet.
Advanced - Move your treat/toy/desirable object down to his eye level, or even place it on the floor (if he will wait to go for it). This usually will not take place until the puppy is older and knows "leave it" and "wait." Do not release the puppy to get the object/treat until he makes and holds eye contact. DO NOT move onto this step too quickly as it can set you back if the pup gets the object/treat before he is released. To keep your puppy from grabbing the treat, you can move your foot overtop of it and wait for him to give you eye contact. Then you click or say "yes" and reward.
Puppies learn this habit very quickly and as you continue to positively reinforce, it will become a default behavior for your puppy. Instead of focusing in on your treats, he'll focus in on you.
Week 2 - Homework
- Continue with potty-training and crate training. If a relapse occurs, don't despair, take a few steps back and start again. Puppies go through a lot of change in these first few weeks and some days will go better than others. Minor things can contribute to set-backs, but every time you start over, they become a little more solid.
- Begin with teaching "focus." Keep it fun and lighthearted. Remember a nine-week old puppy is still very much a baby.
- While we're focusing on eyes this week, here is a very brief dog behavior article about "whale eyes." Canine Body Language: Whale Eyes
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