Carol Boche wrote 04/12/2007 05:27 PM Eye Contact #137933 - 04/12/2007 05:27 PM
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005 Posts: 4531 Loc: South Dakota, USA Offline	Hey All, I am stumped....my Mal bitch has taken to not wanting to make eye contact upon return to me. She runs up, looking at me, turns to face away and sits in the heel position. She also does this when I ask her to sitz while on lead. It is wierd....almost like avoidance, but with other postions she is fine. I have not taught her this and when I try and get her to look at me she turns her head farther away with her ears back. I cannot think of anything that happened as far as a harsh correction or anything like that, so the only thing I can think of is that she is in her second heat right now.... Any thoughts? (if I use treats and tell her to look, she will make contact, take the treat and keep contact for a second and then turn away. I DO NOT want to get into a stare down with her, but I am wondering what I am doing, if anything, to make her feel uncomfortable) Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
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Geoff Empey wrote 04/12/2007 06:55 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Carol Boche ] #137939 - 04/12/2007 06:55 PM
Geoff Empey Webboard User Reg: 02-07-2007 Posts: 596 Loc: Ottawa Ontario, Canada Offline	With my 8 mos old female Mal, we have had a rough time keeping her focused on us as well. I kept wondering about her comfort level too with us, but I really don't think it is anything like that. It was more what we were not doing I think. What has really helped us is the eye contact game.. I was actually amazed how it worked. You need a clicker and some real good smelly treats to start and you are good to go. http://www.canismajor.com/dog/clk9904.html Her focus is really coming around plus it is really fun to play. Now after a a couple of weeks she is actually doing it with her tugs and balls as well so we are phasing out the treats. Try it out, it has worked for us.
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Connie Sutherland wrote 04/12/2007 06:56 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Carol Boche ] #137940 - 04/12/2007 06:56 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31573 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	I had to email you about the "look" game, because I couldn't connect here for a while. But I hope someone will have ideas about this being just a "sit" eye-contact issue, with other eye contact being OK. P.S. That is a good game, Geoff, isn't it? I think it was on a Leerburg video (#302?) where I first saw setting a marker with eye contact.
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Carol Boche wrote 04/12/2007 07:01 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Geoff Empey ] #137941 - 04/12/2007 07:01 PM
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005 Posts: 4531 Loc: South Dakota, USA Offline	She has great focus when working, playing and tugging. In the platz, stand, and when she is running to me she makes eye contact. It is just the sitz when she does it. She is in heat now and has been for 6 days now so I am wondering if it is that. I just started the "look" game with her a couple days ago, since she always made good eye contact before in all positions....it is just bizarre. OH and she is 16 months old now. So she has had one heat in Sept 2006 and now this one..... Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
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Geoff Empey wrote 04/12/2007 07:17 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Carol Boche ] #137944 - 04/12/2007 07:17 PM
Geoff Empey Webboard User Reg: 02-07-2007 Posts: 596 Loc: Ottawa Ontario, Canada Offline	Quote: carol boche She has great focus when working, playing and tugging. In the platz, stand, and when she is running to me she makes eye contact. It is just the sitz when she does it. She is in heat now and has been for 6 days now so I am wondering if it is that. I just started the "look" game with her a couple days ago, since she always made good eye contact before in all positions....it is just bizarre. That's pretty well carbon copy of the behaviour my dog was exibiting as well. Anything that wasn't exciting like a ball or tug i.e. sit at heel or down etc it was like she was like a kid mesmerized by cartoons. She was indifferent and aloof like the belle of the ball surrounded by nerds. Did she have good focus on you during the Sitz when she wasn't in heat six days ago? The key I've found with my dog anyways is making yourself as fun or at least 1/2 as intresting as the tug or ball. The 'look' game IMHO is a step in the right direction and has taken at least a consistent month now to get real tangible improvment with my dog, that others see.
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Geoff Empey wrote 04/12/2007 07:37 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #137946 - 04/12/2007 07:37 PM
Geoff Empey Webboard User Reg: 02-07-2007 Posts: 596 Loc: Ottawa Ontario, Canada Offline	Quote: Connie Sutherland P.S. That is a good game, Geoff, isn't it? I think it was on a Leerburg video (#302?) where I first saw setting a marker with eye contact. Yes it is, both my daughter and I play it with her now. It gets better every day. It really warms my heart seeing the transformation.
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Mary K.Pope wrote 04/12/2007 07:46 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Geoff Empey ] #137947 - 04/12/2007 07:46 PM
Mary K.Pope Webboard User Reg: 08-24-2005 Posts: 361 Loc: Northern California Offline	Carol, This method works for me. Have her at your side in a sitz position on a leash. In your mouth, hold small pieces of her treats (I use turkey hot dogs for this), when she looks at you spit one piece towards her mouth. If she is paying attention, she will catch them. Do not let her have any that fall on the ground. After she starts to "get" the game, vary the time pattern. You can then transition to a ball or tug under your chin to use as a play reward. Hope it helps!
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Anne Vaini wrote 04/12/2007 08:09 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Mary K.Pope ] #137948 - 04/12/2007 08:09 PM
Anne Vaini Webboard User Reg: 07-14-2005 Posts: 775 Loc: Wisconsin Offline	I suggested this in PM because I didn't want to look stupid on the board I asked if the dog is in heat because some females are really funny and hormonal for a while. Carol says the dog is in heat. My advice is leave the look command alone until the heat is over.
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Carol Boche wrote 04/12/2007 09:52 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Geoff Empey ] #137953 - 04/12/2007 09:52 PM
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005 Posts: 4531 Loc: South Dakota, USA Offline	She had great focus when she was not in heat..... I was hoping that her heat would come into play here due to the fact that she is a hard dog. It seems as though that is what it is...she is just wacko while in heat. She was not like that in her first heat, but then she is a MAL and she is maturing. Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
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Carol Boche wrote 04/12/2007 09:54 PM Re: Eye Contact [Re: Mary K.Pope ] #137954 - 04/12/2007 09:54 PM
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005 Posts: 4531 Loc: South Dakota, USA Offline	Mary, I am doing this also. She is getting better at catching but still just looks away.....I will wait her out and see what happens when she comes out of heat. Like Anne says, if she is hormonal I do not want to teach her anything that could be detrimental to her other training while she is being wacko..... Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
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