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If your dog gets easily distracted outside, increasing the frequency of your dog's attention towards you is an important strategy to practice. This behavior lessens the normal desire to constantly scan the environment for distractions. It is also a very basic way of “starting the conversation” with a dog. If your dog learns to check in by looking at you, it will be easier to ask him to do things that you like such as walking nicely, Stop or come to you. This is the cue that I will use in this post. You can use anything that makes sense to you. Other suggestions include: Look at Me, Watch, Focus, etc. You can also use your dog’s name to mean, “Watch Me” as long as you are consistent in its use. Learn more about consistency in dog training.
As with all training, first start inside without distractions to get the behavior started. The exercises will be much easier inside with minimal distractions and then you will have to adjust your expectations when you move outside. Stay farther away from distractions outside at first, or block your dog's vision with your body until he looks at you.
I use two strategies for teaching Watch Me. I start by shaping and then I teach the verbal cue.
Shaping Strategies
After you get some reliability with Shaping, you can add the Cue “Watch Me”
Leash Walking and Eye Contact
Daily Strategies
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