Dogs and people. Two species I work with on a daily basis. Thats right. Two DIFFERENT species. Sometimes these differences can get us into trouble if we dont recognize them. Today I want to talk about eye contact.
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| Please dont stare |
So how does eye contact relate to our dogs? Eye contact can be a threatening gesture to a dog. If someone is staring at a dog he can feel challenged or threatened. In either instance you are likely to make the dog uncomfortable. Direct, sustained eye contact can be very rude in a dogs mind.
What kind of eye contact should you make with a dog? Keep your eyes light, relaxed, casually blink & dont have extended eye contact. Look at the dogs check area & then away.
What can you do to help your dog adjust to eye contact? Teach your dog a watch cue. Here is a sample on how I start this behavior. Dont forget to have a soft face, eyes & smile when teaching this to your dog. Remember, you want to be non-threatening.
· Put a yummy treat to your dog’s nose, and slowly lure the treat to between your eyes. As soon as your dog looks at it/you say "yes!" followed by the treat.
· Repeat for various repetitions & a variety of locations.
· Start to add time (one second at a time) before saying "yes!".
· Continue with this level until you have 10 seconds of your dog looking at you before "yes!" and treating.
So remember, staring at a dog is not something a dog enjoys.
Need some extra help? I offer both in person & online, web, video instruction!
Please feel free to contact me for details.
