Look

Steps

Phase 1 - Acquisition (Learning and Luring) & Phase 2 - Automatic (Motivation)

1. Start by doing the first 3 steps for Marker/Engagement training. (It’s always a good idea to start training sessions this way)

2. Once you’ve done a couple marks with your hands near your face, move one of your hands away from your body. The dog will likely follow your hand. Wait for them to look back at you. You may need to make a noise. Mark and reward.

3. Do step two again but with the other hand. 

4. Gradually increase the distance you are moving your hands away and start to move both hands away. Marking and rewarding when they look at you. 

5. Increase how long they need to look at you before you mark.

6. Once they can hold eye contact for 3 seconds you can add the verbal cue and stop having treats in your hand. You will start back at step 1. This time say “Look” THEN move your hands to your face (this will become the physical cue, I turn it into pointing at my eye) As soon as the dog makes eye contact mark and reward. Move on to step 2-5 always saying your command first and then moving.

• When the dog beats you to the command, meaning once the dog looks at you after you say “Look” but before your hand cues 5/5 times then you have advanced to Phase 3 of learning. Don’t be discouraged if you need to help them with a lure after they’ve already done great a previous day. There’s lots of backwards steps and lots of repetition that needs to happen. Command, motivate (lure), mark, reward.

Phase 3 - Generalization (Distractions)

• Now your dog looks at you every time you say “Look” and you rarely need to help them with a hand cue. Congratulations! It’s time to show the dog that “Look” means “Look” everywhere else too. You can reference the Phases of Learning page to get more ideas on how to help generalize. Below are a few to get you started.

• You’ve probably been standing in front of your dog doing this for a day or two in the same room. That’s the only picture the dog has seen for this sequence of events to give him a reward. Try to change it slightly. Have your dog next to you instead of in front and say “Look”. Be prepared to follow it up with a hand signal. If they still aren’t getting it go all the back with a luring with a treat in your hand. This is ok and they’ll catch on rather quick. 

• Practice in all rooms in the house and have the dog in front, on the side, back facing you, etc. 

• Go outside in a low distraction environment (might need to let them explore for a few minutes first). Practice again and be prepared to start all over with the lure. 

• Back in the house once the dog seems proficient at it in all rooms, start adding distractions like throwing a toy or someone being goofy on the other side of the room. Helps to have them leashed so they can’t go and reward themselves if they get distracted. If they are too distracted increase how much space is between them and the distraction.