The Look Cue - Eyes and Focus to me

In our last blog, we addressed the use of our favorite dog harnesses and collars.

While they are an important part of successful leash walking, they can not take the place of good communication between you and your dog. Proper equipment coupled with asking for eye contact by establishing a verbal cue like look, focus, or watch me is key!

Exactly what does this cue mean? Well, it means… hey…attention, eyes to me. Although you don’t always see look listed as one of the most important cues to teach, I must say I disagree. It ranks high on my first cues to teach a puppy or dog and the sooner the better.

In my own experience, the look cue is a valuable part of communicating with a dog. My sweet Bernese Mountain Dog (since passed) as sweet as she was, on occasion had a dislike for a passing dog. I ask for a look - her eyes and focus come to me. My current English setter and squirrels…I think you get the idea, a big distraction. Ask for a look, his eyes and focus come to me. My current Bernese mix is a shyer boy, a victim of a puppy mill which left him very unsocialized. Look is my go to when he sees something he is unsure of. It brings his attention to me. By asking him for this behavior, he tunes off the feared novelty and tunes on to me. This gives him reassurance and takes his mind off the feared novelty. Lastly, I recently adopted a Bernese/Aussie/Poodle mix when he was 4 months old. He’s quite the spark with a mind of his own! The look cue quickly became part of his training, especially on walks. Today he auto checks in with me without my asking. This is the beauty of this cue and what you want to happen. Good dog/person communication has been established.

Training this behavior is not a light switch. Every dog is different but most pick up on the initial concept quickly. It’s the distractions, different situations, and the dog’s personality that can make it harder for a dog to give you their focus when you ask for it. Training this behavior takes consistency, practice and the proper reinforcement. Well worth it!

So next time you are pursuing a new harness or collar, also remember that all important look cue. Take the time with a trainer to learn and effectively use the verbal cue look. This along with the proper equipment can set both you and your dog up for a pleasant walking experience.