Category: Getting Started, Performance Events ¤
  Author: Helix Fairweather ¤
   Title: Eye Contact Game ¤

On Sun, 2 Mar 1997, MCG&WSM wrote:

>Also practice lots and lots and lots of the Eye Contact Game. (email me if
you don't know this one).        

>I don't -- so I am!!!!

Have Watson sit in front of you, hold a treat in one hand, clicker in the
other, put treat in front of his nose, then move it slowly to your nose.
His eyes will naturally follow the treat, you C/T when his eyes are on your
face. Do this two or three times or more until he gets the idea.

Now have the treat in your hand but behind  your back (or even in a bait
bag if he is real nosy about the treat). Just WAIT - no cues, no commands,
don't call his name, NOTHING, NADA, ZIP. (That’s the hard part.)
Eventually, even if only by accident he will look at your face, C/T!!!
Repeat several times. You will see him realize that looking at your face is
what is earning the C/T!!

Once he gets the idea, then make the game harder, only C/T when he gives
you Eye Contact (for beardies we have to get the hair tied up), no matter
how brief a nanosecond of time. Do this several times. You will see him get
the idea.

Now time to make it harder (raise criteria). Hold a treat in your hand with
arm extended out to your side. If you don't have his full attention, flash
it under his nose, then hold it out to the side. Watson will definitely
stare at the treat (I want it! I want it!). Don't give any cues or any help
or call his name. This is the hardest part for people to understand - the
dog has to solve the puzzle himself, no help allowed! Out of frustration he
will eventually look at you as if to say "what is the matter with you?
where's my treat?" - catch that glance at you! C/T.  Repeat many times.
Then do the other side. Remember any tiny change of context is a new
behavior. Even just the switch from right to left hand is a new behavior.

The above can be all one session. I have helped out in several clicker
classes and they get this real fast. The object is that the dog must look
AWAY from what he wants in order to GET what he wants. Pretty neat eh?

Keep this up in many small training sessions. When you get to the point
where you can tell he is going to give you eye contact, give it a name (a
cue). I use "Ready!" (This is so that when the obedience judge says 'Are
you ready?' I can respond 'Ready!' and have Brady's attention on me.)

Now you can use your cue to get his attention and you C/T for correct
response to the cue. Do this many many zillions of times. You can make it
harder by increasing the duration of time you have eye contact. Do a silent
count in your head. If he holds eye contact for a count of 1, only C/T
those that are for a count of 2. After he is good at that (the Baileys
would have you keep records of trials and make things harder when the dog
is performing at 80%.), increase to a count of 3. Then make thing
unpredictable, yo-yo around 3, do 2,1,3,1,4,2,5 so that it comes out to an
average of 3. Then move up to an average of 5.

By this point Watson is an expert right? Take this show on the road. Do
this in very slightly more distracting place. You will probably have to go
way back to the treat flashed under his nose, then up to yours, to get him
to focus. We call that "going back to kindergarten" - and it's OK.  You
just go as far as back as you need for him to succeed. Then move rapidly up
through the various levels of difficulty. 

After great success, try a place with just a bit more distraction.
Eventually work up to a supermarket parking lot, a busy park, a dog show.
You should be able to have Watson' attention on you when you give the cue.
If you don't always have a clicker and treats with you, condition a verbal
CR (I use "yes!") and condition other reinforcers, ear scratch, tummy rub,
tug of war game for example.

Brady was a canine nut case about greeting other dogs at the training
center. I began to use other dogs as a primary reinforcers. That is, I
would ask for eye contact, get it, <click>, then allow her to greet the
other dog (having other owner's permission first), let them sniff each
other for about 20 seconds, call her back to me and get eye contact again.
This reinforces the concept that "All good things come from me and they
have to be earned." I am a real dictator about that one. Greeting other
dogs is a grand and wonderful favor dispensed by me, the leader of the pack.  

I was very pleased yesterday when doing a Novice run through with Brady in
the park. Our clicker guru was acting as the judge. At the start of every
exercise, she said "are you ready?". I looked down at Brady, said "Ready!"
and had her complete attention. I was so proud of her. It was Dani who had
taught me the Eye Contact Game and I was very glad to show off. <BG>

> Absolutely true.  I'm quite prepared to put the hours in yesterday really
brought home that there are some things we've simply tolerated rather than
trained.  When he was a puppy/younger dog we kept hoping that a 

boy! we all do that one! Tolerate, rather than train. You put it in words
quite well.

Helix