Someone over here in SA also taught me this but in a different way. it might help for very distracted dogs. Hold your arm out at your side with the food, at first your dog will want to look at your hand where the food is, but often when she realises she cant have the treat, she will look at you and then you click and give her the treat. Over time you hold both arms out with treats and later you should be able to hold the treat right on the side of her head.
@keleroo Oh yes, I know that method. It works too and I like that it is the dogs choice to look at the handler. :) You can also do that same thing with toys in your hands, bouncing a tennis ball, with another person playing with a ball or eating food, and more. The great thing about both exercises is teach the dog that good things happen when he looks at his handler instead of the distraction. :) Thank you for your awesome comment! :)
But her attitude often is like "ookay, I do it, but only so I can go away and do something without you without you calling me back". Especially when doing dogdancing in the group where I can't avoid the distraction of other dogs and people (she will do anything for their food and not accept mine, for example).
I hope it's okay, I'm asking you so much - thank you very much!!
@testorki What is your dogs breed? Some dogs just have a shorter attention span. My husky mix loses focus quickly and is easily distracted, so I keep training with her fun, short, and use the highest value treats that I can. It helps, but she will never be as focused as my border collies. Also, at your training place, you all should swap food treats to help all the dogs. They would be more willing because the treats are new and stuff they do not usually get.
@testorki Also, end the training session before she tunes and before you get frustrated. Use the environment in the training. If she wants to play with another dog, then have her do something for you and then let her go play, then call her back, do some more work (but make is so fun that she would rather be with you), then let her go play with the other dog. Repeat many times!! Soon she will not have as much interest in that thing in her environment that she wants to get to so badly.
It really helps in every-day life. My dog pays me way more attention when going for a walk know (she is nearly always offline).
But I just don't get her to be really motivated to learn. Have you tips for me how I can archieve that, maybe through practicing this?
I try to apply all "usual" tips like making very short training sessions (3 min as a start), making it very easy (I click the slightest step in the right direction), etc.
@MBLAQandAnimals I still play this game with my dogs, but I keep increasing the difficulty. Can they watch me when sitting, standing, if I have a piece of food in my hand, a ball in my hand, a ball under my foot, a ball bouncing (can you tell that my dogs must love balls)... Can they find my eyes if I am walking, laying on the ground, hiding behind something, and I make it a game... I click and toss a treat every time they find my eyes and choose me over the distraction. Hope that helps!
@pamelamarxsen Yup that certainly helps! :) Thanks so much! I've realised from all the videos I've watched that Border Collies are very toy-motivated, sometimes food won't do the trick in teaching complicated tricks! =^^=
@juliewashere88 Yes, he is a BC and yep very smart. Too smart. Sometimes it only takes my BC's one time of doing a particular behavior and they know it. However, that can work for behaviors you like and behaviors you do not like. So, I have to be very careful what I reinforce & interrupt behaviors that I do not want repeated by redirecting them to do something I do like. They are sponges and can learn anything! I just love them! Have a great day! Pam
@dvae74123 Did you learn the one where you basically lure the dogs eyes to yours with food between your finger and thumb? It is not a bad exercise, but with mine, the dog learns without following the lure. The light bulb goes off faster if the dog thinks they made you click. :)
Make sure you are not playing on grass. Also, toss small tosses so that your pup can find it faster. Maybe the spot you are throwing the treat has a good smell and your pup just can help himself. hehe! Hang in there! If the reward is valuable enough he will get faster at the game. Thanks for the nice comment!
thank you I have been trying to teach look at me with a clicker and it has worked with my girl about 55% of the time but I just kept giving the treat so now i will try it your way and as soon as my baby girl gets it I'll teach it to Hercules.
thanks and i will definitely subscribe.
oh but at what time in the lesson do we start to use look at me?
Mrs.Johnson whenever i have a treat in my hand and i want my dog to look at which she does she grrs or barks is she suppose to do that while doing the watch me game?
She is probably barking at you as if to say, "give it to me, give me that cookie now!" Make sure you do not show her the food. Just the second she looks at you click and toss the food to the ground and then repeat. This game is to get her to know that good things come from watching you.
Pamela have you tried the look at that game? The exact opposite of this video. You click when your dog looks away from you so that they will turn back to you then reward. This is great for dogs who are easily distracted or prone to run off.
Yes, I love that game and I use it often! I have a border collie that is over stimulated aroused by other dogs and I started that game at a distance and he can now walk past other dogs calmly and just glance at them. It is really amazing! You should do a video on it. I would love to see it! I really think that all of us positive trainers need to start getting good info out to the public. I am so tired of correction based methods getting all the attention! Thanks for the comment!!!!
Thanks Pam. You make it look so easy, now I can hardly wait to go and try this. I also use the eye contact ritual at feeding time. The dogs will put in down or sit stays and only get released "ok" once eye contact is made.
I am using the same method. I am calling it "constant training" but it is more for me to stay alert and aware then for Atos. He is my first dog and as a Dobermann he is naturally better as a student than I am as a teacher :)
Also, I use the eye contact for exiting a car or the house and it works great. However I let him stay in whatever position he prefers.
Hi Pam!! first of all I think u are spiying on me an Romy cause u always give us tricks that we need to learn!! ja,ja. Iam joking but serously this is a really simple and important video, there are many things involved but to me the most imprtant one is that it allows the connection with the dog!!thanks
This is So important Pam, thanks for making the video! It happens to be one of the first things I taught Miya and it totally paid off. One of the places I inserted the look at me was before meals; as soon as she made substantial eye contact, she was given the 'ok' to eat. Great job.
Thank you so much for such a great comment! It is nice to hear that others use a form of this exercise in their everyday life with their dogs! I also have my dogs 'work" for their dinner. I am a believer that nothing in life is free. :) Have a great day and check out my new loose leash walking (with focus) video. :)
wow. this was really professional pam. the watch me game is so great for getting attention on you and off of the food as well as getting them to pay more attention to you. loved the editing too. really, very hard to talk over the video like that and you did it so well. a fav.
Thanks for the step by step approach! It's such a foundation skills for so many of the behaviors as well as helps to build a great relationship with your dog!
Thank you so much! I could not agree more! Foundation skills are so important and so worth while to spend the time on them. To me the relationship is the most important part of dog training. Our training partner has to WANT to work with us! :) Thanks again!
Fantastic! This is such a fantastic game to play with your dog. Play it enough and one day you'll notice your dog staring at you in the pressence of food, aggressive dogs, people...
Question: Any tips on how to transfer this to a competition heel?
Well that is the goal to be able to get that attention around any distraction! Thank you so much for your comment! I totally AGREE! I am so happy that you liked the video and the game! I do have a video coming up (that I am working on now) on loose leash walking, but it has more of a heeling focus. I should have it ready and uploaded before Christmas.
Sweet! Keep pumping out the awesome training videos! ! ! It gives me shivers to think about how many dogs, and owners for that matter around the world are going to have a better life together after watching your videos!
Oh Emily! That means so much coming from you! I really hope that many dogs have a better life because of them!! You are so sweet for commenting! Have a great day!!!
Make sure you add those distractions slowly and start the game in the house or in an area with LOW level distractions. Have fun with it! Your dog will like the game.
yes! eye contact is SO important and is the biggest thing I work on with my dogs. you can't teach your dog anything else if they're not looking at you! Too bad a lot of people don't get this, or they see my dogs staring at me and just say "oh, you must have treats."
Thank you so much for your comment! I could not agree more! Isn't that funny, everyone that does not train with treats thinks that treat must be the only reason why our dogs behave and follow cues. LOL!
Someone over here in SA also taught me this but in a different way. it might help for very distracted dogs. Hold your arm out at your side with the food, at first your dog will want to look at your hand where the food is, but often when she realises she cant have the treat, she will look at you and then you click and give her the treat. Over time you hold both arms out with treats and later you should be able to hold the treat right on the side of her head.
keleroo 2 months ago
@keleroo Oh yes, I know that method. It works too and I like that it is the dogs choice to look at the handler. :) You can also do that same thing with toys in your hands, bouncing a tennis ball, with another person playing with a ball or eating food, and more. The great thing about both exercises is teach the dog that good things happen when he looks at his handler instead of the distraction. :) Thank you for your awesome comment! :)
pamelamarxsen 2 months ago
We are also really successful learning tricks.
But her attitude often is like "ookay, I do it, but only so I can go away and do something without you without you calling me back". Especially when doing dogdancing in the group where I can't avoid the distraction of other dogs and people (she will do anything for their food and not accept mine, for example).
I hope it's okay, I'm asking you so much - thank you very much!!
testorki 4 months ago
@testorki What is your dogs breed? Some dogs just have a shorter attention span. My husky mix loses focus quickly and is easily distracted, so I keep training with her fun, short, and use the highest value treats that I can. It helps, but she will never be as focused as my border collies. Also, at your training place, you all should swap food treats to help all the dogs. They would be more willing because the treats are new and stuff they do not usually get.
pamelamarxsen 4 months ago
@testorki Also, end the training session before she tunes and before you get frustrated. Use the environment in the training. If she wants to play with another dog, then have her do something for you and then let her go play, then call her back, do some more work (but make is so fun that she would rather be with you), then let her go play with the other dog. Repeat many times!! Soon she will not have as much interest in that thing in her environment that she wants to get to so badly.
pamelamarxsen 4 months ago
@testorki I hope that helps some! Take care and good luck!
pamelamarxsen 4 months ago
I've been trying to do this in many situations.
It really helps in every-day life. My dog pays me way more attention when going for a walk know (she is nearly always offline).
But I just don't get her to be really motivated to learn. Have you tips for me how I can archieve that, maybe through practicing this?
I try to apply all "usual" tips like making very short training sessions (3 min as a start), making it very easy (I click the slightest step in the right direction), etc.
testorki 4 months ago
Bandit takes the treat so daintily! :) Can I ask, how many times would you repeat this 'watch me and you get a treat'? Thank you!
MBLAQandAnimals 8 months ago
@MBLAQandAnimals I still play this game with my dogs, but I keep increasing the difficulty. Can they watch me when sitting, standing, if I have a piece of food in my hand, a ball in my hand, a ball under my foot, a ball bouncing (can you tell that my dogs must love balls)... Can they find my eyes if I am walking, laying on the ground, hiding behind something, and I make it a game... I click and toss a treat every time they find my eyes and choose me over the distraction. Hope that helps!
pamelamarxsen 8 months ago
@pamelamarxsen Yup that certainly helps! :) Thanks so much! I've realised from all the videos I've watched that Border Collies are very toy-motivated, sometimes food won't do the trick in teaching complicated tricks! =^^=
MBLAQandAnimals 8 months ago
Comment removed
MBLAQandAnimals 8 months ago
Is that a border collie? I heard those are very smart.
juliewashere88 9 months ago
@juliewashere88 Yes, he is a BC and yep very smart. Too smart. Sometimes it only takes my BC's one time of doing a particular behavior and they know it. However, that can work for behaviors you like and behaviors you do not like. So, I have to be very careful what I reinforce & interrupt behaviors that I do not want repeated by redirecting them to do something I do like. They are sponges and can learn anything! I just love them! Have a great day! Pam
pamelamarxsen 9 months ago
Wanted to thank you for this, I've been doing this with my dog and have been getting results. :)
punkchica321 1 year ago
@punkchica321 Oh thank you! I am so happy that you are getting results! Plus it is fun for both dog and handler. :)
pamelamarxsen 1 year ago
@pamelamarxsen Any tips on how to make him listen when he is in his bed
eogh 1 year ago
Comment removed
dvae74123 1 year ago
Comment removed
dvae74123 1 year ago
Hi Pamela
This is a different way than what I've been shown before, but it seems a lot better. When do you add the "watch me" command, if at all?
thank you,
Dave
dvae74123 1 year ago
@dvae74123 Did you learn the one where you basically lure the dogs eyes to yours with food between your finger and thumb? It is not a bad exercise, but with mine, the dog learns without following the lure. The light bulb goes off faster if the dog thinks they made you click. :)
pamelamarxsen 1 year ago
@pamelamarxsen First off, sorry for all the postings, I guess I hit the post button too many times.
And second, yes, I learned the one where we lure the dog to my eyes.
But I like your technique better. When do you add the "watch me" verbal command in you technique? Do you add it at all?
Thanks
dvae74123 1 year ago
@dvae74123 You can add the cue right before you know 100% sure that your dog is about to look at you. Then just keep practicing.
pamelamarxsen 1 year ago
You do a REALLY nice job with your videos, breaking dwon the steps and explaining them.
linda561usa 1 year ago
Thank you! I am so happy that you like them! Have a nice day!
Pam
pamelamarxsen 1 year ago
Make sure you are not playing on grass. Also, toss small tosses so that your pup can find it faster. Maybe the spot you are throwing the treat has a good smell and your pup just can help himself. hehe! Hang in there! If the reward is valuable enough he will get faster at the game. Thanks for the nice comment!
pamelamarxsen 1 year ago
thank you I have been trying to teach look at me with a clicker and it has worked with my girl about 55% of the time but I just kept giving the treat so now i will try it your way and as soon as my baby girl gets it I'll teach it to Hercules.
thanks and i will definitely subscribe.
oh but at what time in the lesson do we start to use look at me?
bankg92 2 years ago
would u say that this is an important first lesson?
LarryBogary 2 years ago
Yes! I think that focus and attention is very important! Thanks!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Mrs.Johnson whenever i have a treat in my hand and i want my dog to look at which she does she grrs or barks is she suppose to do that while doing the watch me game?
BreenaBonnie 2 years ago 2
She is probably barking at you as if to say, "give it to me, give me that cookie now!" Make sure you do not show her the food. Just the second she looks at you click and toss the food to the ground and then repeat. This game is to get her to know that good things come from watching you.
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Pamela have you tried the look at that game? The exact opposite of this video. You click when your dog looks away from you so that they will turn back to you then reward. This is great for dogs who are easily distracted or prone to run off.
DiscDogBlog 2 years ago
Yes, I love that game and I use it often! I have a border collie that is over stimulated aroused by other dogs and I started that game at a distance and he can now walk past other dogs calmly and just glance at them. It is really amazing! You should do a video on it. I would love to see it! I really think that all of us positive trainers need to start getting good info out to the public. I am so tired of correction based methods getting all the attention! Thanks for the comment!!!!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Thanks Pam. You make it look so easy, now I can hardly wait to go and try this. I also use the eye contact ritual at feeding time. The dogs will put in down or sit stays and only get released "ok" once eye contact is made.
GSDlover7 2 years ago 2
I am using the same method. I am calling it "constant training" but it is more for me to stay alert and aware then for Atos. He is my first dog and as a Dobermann he is naturally better as a student than I am as a teacher :)
Also, I use the eye contact for exiting a car or the house and it works great. However I let him stay in whatever position he prefers.
Trifunovici 2 years ago
Wow, great tutorial Pam! You explain it very easily and well! Thanks for sharing! 5**s!
DogsAreMyBestFriends 2 years ago
what a great game for foundation work, great video
bordergirlsmom 2 years ago
You make it look easy and simple to do and accomplish! Great job!
dogscatskp 2 years ago
Thanks! My border collie Bandit seems to make everything look easy. He is one smart boy! Thank you for such a nice comment!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Really cool! :)
AnimalPortraits 2 years ago
Hi Pam!! first of all I think u are spiying on me an Romy cause u always give us tricks that we need to learn!! ja,ja. Iam joking but serously this is a really simple and important video, there are many things involved but to me the most imprtant one is that it allows the connection with the dog!!thanks
romyAndJuliet 2 years ago
This is So important Pam, thanks for making the video! It happens to be one of the first things I taught Miya and it totally paid off. One of the places I inserted the look at me was before meals; as soon as she made substantial eye contact, she was given the 'ok' to eat. Great job.
tehrenberg 2 years ago
Thank you so much for such a great comment! It is nice to hear that others use a form of this exercise in their everyday life with their dogs! I also have my dogs 'work" for their dinner. I am a believer that nothing in life is free. :) Have a great day and check out my new loose leash walking (with focus) video. :)
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
wow. this was really professional pam. the watch me game is so great for getting attention on you and off of the food as well as getting them to pay more attention to you. loved the editing too. really, very hard to talk over the video like that and you did it so well. a fav.
zsianz1 2 years ago
Thanks Sian! It is hard to talk over the video like that and it took me MANY takes before I finally got it how I wanted it. THANKS!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Thanks for the step by step approach! It's such a foundation skills for so many of the behaviors as well as helps to build a great relationship with your dog!
supernaturalbc2009 2 years ago
Thank you so much! I could not agree more! Foundation skills are so important and so worth while to spend the time on them. To me the relationship is the most important part of dog training. Our training partner has to WANT to work with us! :) Thanks again!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Fantastic! This is such a fantastic game to play with your dog. Play it enough and one day you'll notice your dog staring at you in the pressence of food, aggressive dogs, people...
Question: Any tips on how to transfer this to a competition heel?
CafeAmerican1945 2 years ago
Well that is the goal to be able to get that attention around any distraction! Thank you so much for your comment! I totally AGREE! I am so happy that you liked the video and the game! I do have a video coming up (that I am working on now) on loose leash walking, but it has more of a heeling focus. I should have it ready and uploaded before Christmas.
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Sweet! Keep pumping out the awesome training videos! ! ! It gives me shivers to think about how many dogs, and owners for that matter around the world are going to have a better life together after watching your videos!
kikopup 2 years ago
Oh Emily! That means so much coming from you! I really hope that many dogs have a better life because of them!! You are so sweet for commenting! Have a great day!!!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
awesome already in my favourites!!
claudiahoyle 2 years ago
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Wonderful video! I must try this with my dog as my dog gets easily distracted. 5* for you!
newbear95 2 years ago
Make sure you add those distractions slowly and start the game in the house or in an area with LOW level distractions. Have fun with it! Your dog will like the game.
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Sure! Thanks a lot for the wonderful video! :)
newbear95 2 years ago
Actually Timmy's favorite! We always parctice this on walks. Something everyone should be practicing :)
AlmondBear 2 years ago
No wonder Timmy has such great focus! Thank you so much for the comment!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
Awesome tutorial, Pam!! Very critical aspect to dog training as someone else already stated! 5*s!
ZandersStory 2 years ago
Thank you!!!!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago
yes! eye contact is SO important and is the biggest thing I work on with my dogs. you can't teach your dog anything else if they're not looking at you! Too bad a lot of people don't get this, or they see my dogs staring at me and just say "oh, you must have treats."
fickla01 2 years ago
Thank you so much for your comment! I could not agree more! Isn't that funny, everyone that does not train with treats thinks that treat must be the only reason why our dogs behave and follow cues. LOL!
pamelamarxsen 2 years ago