The dog training command “watch me” involves getting your dog to look up at your face whenever you ask. It is an exercise in getting your dog’s attention and is often one of the first behaviors taught in dog training classes. It is also one of those cues that is easy to incorporate into everyday activities.
Here’s how to teach your dog “watch me:”
Get the Behavior
Start with your dog in a sitting or standing position.
- Hold a small dog training treat in your hand.
- Show it to your dog by bringing it close to his or her nose.
- Move the treat from your dog’s nose to your nose so that your dog’s eyes follow the treat.
- At the moment your dog makes eye contact with you, say “yes” and give your dog the treat.
Repeat this step four to five times.
Add the Command
When your dog is reliably making eye contact when you take a treat to your eyes, the next step is to say “watch me” just before moving your hand towards your eyes.
Repeat this step several times.
Move the Treat to the Other Hand
Once the above step is working, it’s time to switch the treat into the other hand (you may need to hold it behind your back) and instead of taking the treat up to your eyes, say “watch me” and bring just your hand up to your eyes. When your dog makes eye contact, say “yes” and reward your dog with the treat from the other hand.
Repeat this step several times.
Add a Distraction
Just because a dog knows a command you have worked on in your kitchen doesn’t mean they know it in other places or with other things going on, so it’s important to practice this in different rooms in your house, in the backyard and on your walks.
If you’re having trouble getting your dog to make eye contact in a new place or because there are a lot of distractions, go back to the beginning and re-teach them in the new environment. Luckily, since they have learned it before, they learn faster in other situations.
Note: It is important that your dog is doing “watch me” somewhat reliably in less distracting environments first and then you can start to increase the difficulty with a new place or more distractions.
Dog Training Tips: What is ‘Watch’ Used For?
Here are some ways to incorporate the “watch me” command into your daily life with your dog.
Before meal times: Meal times are a great dog training moment. You might already ask your dog to “sit” before their meal, now you can ask for eye contact (“watch me”) before you release them to enjoy their meal. It is one of the ways to teach them self control and polite behavior.
On walks when you see another dog or person approaching: It’s a good practice to work on having your dog pay attention to you instead of greeting every passerby. Stand to the side of the sidewalk and ask your dog for “watch me” until the dog or person walks past. Once they have passed, you can release your dog and continue on your walk. This prevents any unwanted dog-on-dog interactions and people getting jumped on or lunged at for attention. There are times when your dog can greet other people or dogs, but learning this habit makes it your decision, not your dog’s.
Playing fetch: Fetch is another dog training opportunity, since you have something your dog wants: the ball. Ask for “watch me” as you hold the ball in your hand. Once your dog makes eye contact, say “yes!” and throw the ball for them to run after as the reward. You can do this every time they want you to throw the ball, which helps them learn to work for things in life outside of food.
Elevator etiquette: Elevators can be very crowded, and if you live in a high rise, they can be full of other dogs. When you step in the elevator, ask your dog to “sit” and “watch me.” This keeps their attention on you and helps prevent unwanted dog-on-dog interactions. Once you get to your designated floor, release your dog and be on your way.
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