To train your pup in a new behavior or trick, you first have to make sure they are paying attention to you. That’s why teaching your dog an attention-grabbing cue like “eyes on me” early on can be extremely helpful down the road. It’s a valuable tool you can use to keep them focused in crowded public places, divert their attention away from a dog you pass on a walk, or while working an agility course.

dog training

Teaching the Cue “Eyes on Me”

Choose a quiet room without distractions. Avoid having toys or food bowls in the room with you as well, if possible. You want to make it very easy for your dog to choose to look at you during your first few training sessions for this behavior.

  1. Hold the treat in front of your dog’s nose, but don’t let them take it.
  2. Bring the treat to your face, and hold it close to your eyes or forehead. Make sure your dog follows it with their eyes; if they break contact or get distracted, remove the distraction and try again.
  3. Once they maintain eye contact with your forehead/eyes for a second or two, click and reward them with the treat. Repeat this a few times until they get the hang of it. Success might take a couple of short training sessions.
  4. Now, lure their eyes with the treat to your forehead – but after clicking, give them a treat with your other hand. Don’t reward them with the treat you used as a lure. This action helps remove the reliance on a lure to get them to look at you; they learn to look because you cue them to do it, not because they’re just following a treat. Repeat this during your training sessions for at least a day or two.
  5. Remove the lure treat from your training sessions. Hold just an empty hand up to your eyes or forehead. Your dog should be getting used to this hand signal by now – and likely won’t have any trouble following the cue in a distraction-free setting. After holding eye contact for a few seconds, mark and reward them with a treat from your opposite hand.
  6. Train for a few sessions with just the empty hand signal before incorporating a verbal cue as well. This could be “eyes on me,” “watch me,” or simply “look” or “eyes.”

Incorporate Distractions

It’s easy for your dog to look at you when you’re holding a treat next to your eyes; however, when distractions are around, they’ll have more trouble. Add distractions over time during your training sessions. To begin, hold a treat and extend your arm out to the side. Your dog will likely follow the treat. Wait until they look at you as they wonder why you’re just holding it and not doing anything. As soon as they look at you, mark and reward them. They’ll quickly learn that to get the treat, they’ve got to focus on you. 

Distractions could include music playing, a friend rolling a ball around nearby, or someone knocking on the door. Eventually, you can build to having dogs pass by.

Note that it will be much harder to break your dog’s focus when you’re outside or in public than in your home or yard. To help get your pup’s attention, you may want to offer a higher-value treat for your “eyes on me” cue. A piece of chicken will better get your dog’s attention than your standard piece of kibble.

For more tips and training tips, read through our website. If you are looking for a Sarasota or Bradenton dog training school, call Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training for more information.