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Teach your puppy to check in with you, especially when something changes in the environment. Throughout the day, when the puppy happens to make eye contact with you, mark with Yes or a clicker. Feed, move away and mark/treat again.
Do this at least once whenever something changes about the situation when you are with your puppy (leaving the house, coming back inside, bicycle appearing, someone coming home, just met another dog and you're walking away, etc.) You can practice this going back and forth between rooms in your house.
Watch this video of reinforcing eye contact whenever the puppy offers it: There is lots to learn from this wonderful video:
Do this at least once whenever something changes about the situation when you are with your puppy (leaving the house, coming back inside, bicycle appearing, someone coming home, just met another dog and you're walking away, etc.) You can practice this going back and forth between rooms in your house.
Watch this video of reinforcing eye contact whenever the puppy offers it: There is lots to learn from this wonderful video:
- Notice that every time the puppy looks at the person, that behaviour is marked with a clicker or the word "yes". This lets the puppy know what behaviour is being reinforced.
- Notice how many different things are used to let the puppy know how wonderful it is that she is looking at her person! Food, a toy, and petting are all used to reward the behaviour of checking in. You can see how much the puppy enjoys all three. It's important to make sure you reward with things your puppy likes, otherwise you may inadvertently punish the behaviour.
- Notice that the person never solicits the puppy's attention. She moves around to change the environment and then she waits until the puppy looks at her. It is much more powerful if your puppy chooses to look at you than if she looks at you because you ask her.
