Where to Start with Puppy Training? How to Keep From Being Overwhelmed?

'High bang for the buck' seems to be one of Jean Donaldson's favourite phrases

I basically think she is saying that this one simple behaviour is easy to teach but you get to reap many rewards from it. If that's not introducing another metaphor!

As for Watch.... Watch is good when there is something distracting happening nearby which will be over, or passed you, relatively soon, and which you don't want your dog to see - because they may launch themselves at it, for eg. So, if a horse or bike or kid is passing and you want your dog to focus on you and not on that other thing, then you might ask for a Watch repeatedly over and over until it has passed.

The distracting thing can be something the dog loves and wants to reach (another dog on leash) or something the dog is afraid of and might bark at. Either way, it works just as well.

To teach Watch, I hold a treat between my thumb and middle finger - so my index finger is free, to make a pointy finger with. I let the dog sniff the treat and move it up to my face, holding my pointy index finger in front of my nose. I click focus and then deliver the treat to the dog's mouth. The dog learns the pointy finger as meaning 'Watch' (hand signal) and it will then work even when you haven't put the treat there first.

This would be a 'cued' watch (cued by the hand signal). The other thing you want, is just to reinforce attention and focus from the dog - uncued by you. Because a dog which is generally paying attention to you, is easier to train all other behaviours with. Puppy Culture has a great streamable video called Attention Is The Mother of All Behaviours, which I highly recommend - you can watch a little clip for free: https://shoppuppyculture.com/collec...-attention-is-the-mother-of-all-behaviors-vod

And then: In my eyes, Watch and Look At That, are two sides of the same coin and both can be used around things which are distracting. I teach both separately and will then alternate and combine