The Doggo Club

Eye Contact Training Guide

Prerequisites

Food Motivation
Your dog must be willing to work for food. This could be their daily meal—kibble, raw food, etc. (even if this means wearing gloves). Try to avoid unhealthy treats, as this exercise involves a high volume of rewards and could become unhealthy over time.

Reward Marker
A reward marker is a sound, word, or cue that lets your dog know a reward is coming. For example, if your dog is clicker-trained, the ‘click’ serves this purpose. If you’re using a word, it replaces the clicker.
Example:
You ask your dog to sit → the dog sits → you use the marker (e.g., ‘click’) → you reward with food.
Over time, the dog learns that the marker means food is coming, which can build excitement and even trigger a physical response like salivation.

Exercise Notes

  • Your dog does not have to be in a sit. A stand works just as well.
  • The key is that you can see your dog’s eyes so you can ensure they are genuinely making eye contact, not just glancing near you.
  • This allows you to mark:
    1. At the right time, and
    2. For the correct behaviour.

If your dog has never been rewarded for eye contact, start by rewarding even the briefest glance. As they understand the game, you can gradually increase the time they hold eye contact before rewarding.

Step-by-Step Progression

  1. Indoors with minimal distractions
  2. Outside on a quiet pavement (avoid grass if possible)
  3. In a quiet corner of a local park
  4. Near mild distractions (e.g. people walking past, trees, smells)
  5. Near a dog park – but never inside a dog park

Important: Dog parks are not suitable environments for this exercise. Avoid training in them altogether.

In the video, you may notice the dog lies down occasionally. This is due to previous training and isn’t part of the current exercise. If your dog offers a different behaviour (such as lying down), you can reset them by:

  • Asking for a sit or stand (if they know the commands),
  • Encouraging them to move out of position and return, or
  • Luring them away and restarting.

Why Is This Valuable?

Teaching your dog to offer eye contact builds voluntary engagement. Once the dog associates eye contact with rewards, they will often offer it without being asked.

In the video, you may notice the dog lies down while waiting. This is because he has been rewarded for this behaviour in the past and is trying different behaviours to earn a reward.

Another benefit is improved engagement overall. As your dog becomes more focused through eye contact training, that engagement will often carry over into other aspects of your training.

When and How to Use This

One common use for eye contact is in situations where the dog may be overwhelmed—for instance, when reactive to other dogs or people. Teaching your dog to look at you instead of the source of stress helps redirect their focus to something positive. This can help ‘counter-condition’ the stressful situation, making it easier to manage.

While this is a popular use case, it is by no means the only one. Use eye contact whenever it feels right for your dog and your situation. It is a tool—not a cure-all. For some dogs, eye contact is a helpful strategy; for others, it may be only a temporary solution.

Final Thoughts

Every dog is different. What works for one may not work for another. Tailor your approach to suit your dog’s needs and learning style.

We’re always here to help—please get in touch if you have questions or need advice.