Willow is doing well, I mean I am doing well in she is doing the exercise she is asked to do. Basic we was taught to use a clicker and get the dog to touch your hand with her nose that she picked up straight away. The difficult part is getting eye contact wothout saying her name. She was a bit lively and jumping around when the trainer was talking in between exercises. How do I get her attention without saying her name. If I walk around the living room she watching me expecting me to give an insrtunction. When she looks at me she gets a treat but she is expecting this. Not really sure what I am supposed to be doing.
I don't understand why you seem to think her behaviour is problematic. If she looks at you without you giving any cue, and you click and give a treat, then you increase the likelihood that she will look at you again. When she does, click and treat. Keep reinforcing the desired behaviour. You are trying to get uncued attention using capturing.
In the class she was to wound up and excited for me to get her attention without saying her name. The weather was really bad and windy and showers so lots of distractions and it's in a field. They wanted her to look at me without a calling her. She didn't do this. The click and treat was a different exercise just getting her to associate the click with a treat. We were sent home with homework to pratctice. Willow constantly looks back at us when out on walks am I supposed to give a treat every time she does this. I have trouble getting her attention without calling her name in the field. I will get them to demonstrate to me next week as it's me that needs to know I'm doing it properly. I will try to get her to get eye contact in the garden without calling her name as there are more distractions. Your supposed to get the dog to look at your eyes not your hands.
Have you tried a "look" cue, I use this all the time to focus Woody or were you not able to use any cue at all?
I will talk to the trainer and see what they say in the hand out it just said get the the dogs eye contact without saying their name. I have no idea how to do this out of the house especially if there is a distraction I don't want to do something wrong then have to get Willow to unlearn it, as she picks things up after only showing her once.
If I understand your explanation properly then just wait. Lead on the dog. Stand there. Don't say anything. Don't move. Just be patient. Eventually she will look at you if only for a split second. The look will be as if she is thinking, "Well what's happening here?" At that instant she looks at your eyes, click and treat. Bingo. Reset and repeat. I taught the exercise to one of my classes last weekend. One handler had to stand 90 seconds before the dog looked up, but that was enough to get in a conditioned reinforcer. Click and treat is not a different exercise, once you have installed the clicker. It is the way you are going to mark and reward all behaviours you want your dog to do more of. Think about it: If you don't click and reward how does the dog know that she should look at your face? You can always use a treat past her nose and up to your face. She will look at you. Easy. But that is not capturing a look. It's luring.
Yes I get it now you have explained it. I didn't realise I had to wait for her to look I thought I had to get her attention somehow without calling her. It makes sense now. Thank you Michael.
The first couple of time you might make a smacking noise with your lips. Once dog starts to get the exercise fade the noise.
