Paw Quarterly • Winter 2023

SQUIRREL!

Finding focus with your 4 legged friend

by Karlie Butler

Focus is one of the first skills you will want to teach your dog.

To introduce automatic focus, play the following game:

Focus involves your dog looking at you, ideally giving you eye contact. Having focus from your dog is an essential skill that shows they are “with you”. Lack of focus often means their attention is elsewhere. If something else is more motivating than you, it makes you less valuable to them.

You will need focus from your dog frequently, so it is best to teach automatic focus. Automatic focus does not involve a cue like “watch me” or “look at me.” Instead, you teach your dog to offer you focus by choice.

STEP #1 Have some treats on you and pick an easy location in your house. Leash up your dog if it is easier.

STEP #2 Don’t say anything and just wait for the dog to look at you. When the dog looks towards your eyes, use a word like “yes” to mark the behaviour and reward the dog from your hand.

STEP #3 Drop a piece of food near your feet and let the dog eat it. Wait for the dog to make eye contact again. Mark with “yes” and reward. Repeat this several times.

Some tips and strategies to expand this skill include:

Play the same game in different locations – different rooms, your yard, out and about etc.

Adapt step 3 – toss the food a little farther away and ask the dog to come back and give focus.

Find opportunities to reward – notice your dog offering you focus throughout the day and reward it when you can.

Practice focus around distractions – such as people, other dogs, or other animals. Distractions can be hard, so don’t rush into this. Establish focus in easy contexts first and slowly introduce distractions.

Happy training!

Karlie Butler, CPDT-KA is a trainer at the Regina Humane Society specializing in behaviour modification classes such as Focus and Control and Leash Reactivity.