Don’t Stare Down That Dog!

Making eye contact with dogs is often a misused and misunderstood practice. Teaching your dog to look up at you is meant to ensure they both pay attention to you and learn to respect you. Whether you use the command *eyes, focus, watch, pay attention,* or *look,* the goal is the same—having your dog look up into your eyes with immediacy.

Often, this command is used to divert attention away from something that preoccupies your dog, such as a snake, a cat, food on the ground, or another dog. But looking up at you is also a form of showing respect as well as attentiveness. For it to be effective, this behavior should be learned out of respect and love—not fear.

Because of that, it’s best to train this using positive reinforcement techniques such as verbal praise, treats, and petting. You want your dog to look up at you willingly, thinking, *”Yes, Alpha, right now! And look how well I’m treated when I do!”* If you use eye contact as a reprimand or part of a negative command, you’ll likely get a fear response instead of respect.

Additionally, with certain breeds, such as terriers, staring them down may incite them to challenge your authority by barking in your face or standing their ground—you terrier owners have likely seen this before! With other dogs, it can even lead to submissive behaviors like cringing or urinating.

When correcting behavior, it’s often best to look past the dog rather than stare at them, and sometimes even to purposely look away. Remember, dogs—like children—often respond better to a lack of attention as a form of reprimand rather than negative attention.

When implementing a *pay attention* command, keep it short, break eye contact first, then reward your dog. They will learn to respond more quickly and effectively, strengthening your bond and improving communication.