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The first thing you want when you are training your dog is for your dog to pay attention to you.  If your dog doesn’t pay attention to you, then training other behaviors is going to be more difficult.  To teach look is very simple.  If you run into problems, let me know.

  • Bring the treat to your dogs nose
  • Take the treat to your nose
  • Don’t give a command.  If your dog doesn’t follow the treat, just try again.  Give your dog a treat when he looks at you.
  • After your dog consistently follows the treat add the command.  While your dog is looking at you say “look” or “watch.” When he looks at you give him the treat
  • Practice this consistently at least 20 times a day for a week.
  • As time passes add time to the amount of time required to look at you.  If your dog “fails” and looks away, you are requiring too much too quickly.  Adjust your expectations and require less time.
  • After two weeks of practice, just say “look” and give your dog a treat when he looks at you.  If your dog fails you are moving too quickly for him.  Go back to the previous step.

This is a great command to teach and I use it with my service dog all the time.  He has an affinity for squirrels.  If he starts to focus on one, I tell him to look, he looks at me, and we move past the tempting animal.