It shouldn’t be long before your dog looks at you immediately when you say his name.
Remember this guideline of three to five repetitions.
Whether you’re teaching your dog something new or practicing something he already knows, do it only three to five times. More than that is boring.
Watch me (Pay attention)
Now we’re going to teach your dog to sit still and pay attention to you.
WORD #30: “WATCH ME”
STEP ONE
1. Put your dog’s leash on and lead him into a quiet room.
2. Tell him to “Sit” and stand in front of him, facing him. With a small dog, kneel in front of him.
3. Put one hand under your dog’s chin and your other hand on his forehead. Tilt his head up so he is looking into your eyes.
4. Say, “Jake. WATCH me. WATCH me.”
5. Look into his eyes for fifteen seconds, gently stroking him under the chin and repeating quietly, “Jake. Watch me. Watch me. Good.”
6. After fifteen seconds, remove your hands and say quietly,
“Good boy.” Unsnap the leash and let him go.
Practice this enforced eye contact twice a day for a full week. It seems like a simple little
exercise, I know – but it shows your dog that you can restrain his movements and keep him calm and focused. This is a powerful lesson in
leadership!
STEP TWO OF “WATCH ME”
For the second week, put your dog’s leash on and have him sit beside you on your left side. He should be facing the same direction you are, his head and ears about six inches from your left leg. This position is called Heel Position.
Throughout the rest of this book, we’re going to be doing several exercises that require your dog to sit in Heel Position and stay there, so it’s an important position for him to learn. Let’s work on it!
1. He must remain in Heel Position, sitting beside you, for 10 seconds.
! If he stands up or lies down or walks away, use your hands and/or the leash to re-place him in the same sitting position beside you.
! If he continues to break position, start saying, “Ah-ah!”
AS he breaks position and replace him more firmly – with a sharper tug on his collar and a sterner push on his hindquarters.
2. When your dog will remain sitting for 10 seconds, he must then do so while paying attention to you.
! While he is sitting in Heel Position, say his name, “Jake.”
He should look up at you – but he must not get up!
Put him back in position if he does.
! Once he is looking at you AND holding his sit position, say in a calm voice, “Watch me.” If he keeps looking at you for even a second or two, praise him. “Good watch.”
3. Release your dog from Heel Position.
Raise your voice into a cheerful “Okay!” – the release word. You may have to encourage him to move by walking forward yourself and guiding him with the leash so he breaks out of the Sit position and begins moving around. But he’ll quickly learn what “Okay” means.
Over the next few weeks, increase the time you ask your dog to look at you. Start with just a couple of seconds and build up to ten seconds.
During these longer times, occasionally remind him, “WATCH me. Good. Watch me.”
Now. That’s how the exercise is supposed to go! But what if it doesn’t go so smoothly?
If your dog doesn’t respond to his name at all
You need to go back to teaching your dog his name, Word #29.
You’ll be walking around your house and yard with your dog on leash, occasionally saying his name, rewarding with a treat when he looks at you, reminding him with a gentle tug on the leash when he doesn’t.
If your dog keeps getting distracted and looking away
There are several things you can try:
! Move your index finger near his eyes to catch his attention. Then draw your finger quickly back toward your own eyes to remind him where you want him to focus. Do this rapidly in a flicking motion.
! With a large dog whose head is close to your left hand, tap his skull gently with your fingers. Trainer Diane Bauman calls this, “Knock, knock! Anybody home?” Or use your left hand to gently(!) tug on his cheek or beard.
! Tug on the leash to get and keep his attention.
! Hold a treat or toy near your mouth so he must look up at you to see it. Move it around slightly as you remind him,
“Watch me.” At the end of the exercise, after you release him, give him the treat or toy.
This one often works like magic – but don’t fool yourself. Your dog is really looking at the treat or toy, not at you. The whole point of this exercise is for your dog to pay attention to YOU. So if you resort to this trick, do it only for a short time.
! If nothing else works, lift his head with your hands and hold it so that he must look at you.