How to train a dog to hold eye contact without getting too excited?

Hi and thanks for posting on PetCoach! Attention span will get better with age, but implementing a new training technique can help grab and keep his attention too. One simple technique can you try is introducing the 'watch me' command. Say "watch me", point to yourself, and when Jack looks at you, give a high value reward such as very tasty treat. Practice this technique daily. I have linked a helpful video to help you get started. https://youtu.be/BgGi2CqQ8Xw I hope this helps!

Finding a high-value treat that your dogs enjoy can help increase focus. Most trainers will use freeze-dried liver or bits of chicken or hot dog as most dogs really enjoy those. Practicing focus with a long-leash of 20-30 feet can also help you "reel in" Orion when he becomes too distracted during training. Be sure to reward whenever he pays attention to you. Teaching something such as "Focus" or "Look at Me" (YouTube has lots of tutorials on these) can also help give you a way to direct your dog's attention back to you.

A good trick to start with is by teaching Spots his name, and the command "look at me". This involves taking a favorite treat, placing it in front of his nose, and then bringing it to your forehead while saying either his name, or the command "look at me". Once he looks up at you, praise and give him the treat. This will help him start to learn his name, and give you a better way to gain his attention. Puppies generally have short attention spans, so training sessions of 5-10 minutes max throughout the day are often better than one long session. if he gets too bored or distracted, simply stop the session and try again later. For the leash training, you may want to help Spots get used to being on leash just by having the leash hooked to him and letting him drag it around (with supervision in case he gets stuck on something). Giving praise, and starting out with short walks, before gradually increasing them can also help. If likes to bite the least, giving him a toy to keep in his mouth instead on the walk, or teaching him to drop the leash and then trading the leash for a treat instead can help him as well.

You mentioned that Ryder was 3 weeks old, but she is listed as 3 months old in the description, so I am going to presume that she is 3 months old. Pit puppies are generally very food motivated and eager to please, so you do not need or want her to be overly hungry or energetic before trying to do a training session. Take her on a walk first and let her get her energy out before a training session. And keep her training sessions short. Puppies have VERY short attention spans. When you are working with her, make sure you are not bending over or putting the treat too close to her that she is air nipping. You want to be able to stand up and give her a command and have her pay attention. Another trick you may want to use is to use a clicker or squeaky toy to get her attention when using her name, then treat reward her. There are a number of good training techniques. You may want to look into clicker training or working with a trainer for a puppy class to get you started. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The best way to get dogs to pay attention is by offering the two things they love, treats and praise from their owner. I recommend that you offer treats and ask her to be calm. She is going to be looking at the treat and you closely. This is the time to let her know that that is the desired action and that she is doing well. I think this can work well for you Aleia. Good luck!

Great questions. When you’re building a command to include holding the position until you give a release it can be tricky getting them to wait after the reward. Next time you ask Benji to down. Click reward but keep your hand there with a few treats and feed him treats a few seconds apart. Release with your command word. Try it again. The extra treats will help keep him there and wait longer without getting up immediately. Start smell, 1-2 second to hold before release. Once he gets the idea more treats are coming he will begin to wait longer and you. Can build the time he waits according to how fast he progresses. If you want your down command to I

I would recommend keeping Pilot on a leash when he is meeting new people, so that you can have more control of the situation. You will also need to keep very tasty treats on hand to use for greetings. You can teach him to sit nicely for greetings by using a treat to help him sit, and holding a handful of treats in front of his nose for him to nibble on to help him stay still while someone says hello to him. Eventually, with lots of time and practice, he will get better at this and you won't need to help him as much. But for now, be patient and use lots of treats! If he gets too excited, just move further away until he is able to calm down and focus, then try again. For most dogs, it takes several months of working on this skill to be reliable, so be patient and consistent while he learns :)