Keep Your Eye On The Dog

[sheena]

I have always been taught to "keep your eye on the dog", but after reading a few posts on another thread, am beginning to wonder if this is a universal rule To keep looking at your dog, you have to have your head turned slightly if your dog is lagging behind & I wonder if this sometimes gives the dog a confusing body cue...ie dog thinks a front cross is coming up. Maybe it is better to look & focus straight ahead...at least that would mean less times I fall over, but am really not game to try it as I know I will be howled down by those that know more than me. I don't have real good periphial vision & I have to have my head turned to look at the dog. Interesting to know how many people prefer to break this rule & why

[tlc]

I do look at my guys when we are at obedience but only intermittently to make sure they are still there If we are doing a routine I like to look strait ahead and be confident that the dog is right by my side. I work with all of mine off leash now and I find if I move with confidence and assertivness they never stray from the routine. I hope this makes sense, I find if I am constantly looking at them they are kind of hesitantly waiting for a cue and one of my girls especially thinks me looking automatically means food is imminent. When we teach new people that come to the club we tell them to look ahead and be assertive, I have always thought this was the right way maybe it's not. Anyway my way works for me and to me thats the main thing.

[Tassie]

Nice question - I think Vickie talked about this too - in the Agility training thread maybe. In both obedience and agility, I probably think of it more as 'keep the connection with your dog' - which sometimes will be direct, sometimes peripheral - if you have to check where you're going, make sure you have given the dog the line, and that your body is still supporting the line.

In terms of signalling a front cross, IMHO it is your shoulders which are perhaps the most important part of this - and deceleration.

Don't know if this makes sense (supposed to be working )

In obedience, I still maintain the connection with the dog, but I don't look behind me - it's his job to be where we can see each other's eyes - unless he's doing his fancy new Rally O round the back finish

ET put the last bit in

Edited March 10, 2011 by Tassie

[Agility Dogs]

I probably think of it more as 'keep the connection with your dog'

IMO this is the key in agility. It's not necessary to be looking at them all the time, just when you really need a connection. (when you are asking them to change direction.

Even if you aren't looking at them though you SHOULD be able to turn and see their nose at any given point.

[Vickie]

I try to only look at mine when they are coming towards me.

[JulesP]

I like to look at my dog, my dogs like to look at me. The instructors here HATE that I look at the dog.

[Vickie]

Even if you aren't looking at them though you SHOULD be able to turn and see their nose at any given point.

or their butt :rolleyes:

[pie]

I'm going to try this, I subconsciously look at my dog and I think it's part of the reason she pulls toward me, never noticed it until this was brought up in the agility thread.

[Agility Dogs]

Even if you aren't looking at them though you SHOULD be able to turn and see their nose at any given point.

or their butt :rolleyes:

Just means you aren't running hard enough.........

[The Spotted Devil]

I find it's a bit about trust too - I baby Zig too much - because we are both inexperienced and because of the type of dog he is. In my training classes, I now have lots of support from people who will push me to ask for more from him (which means not looking/supporting because I have to get into position). Our last competition run felt SO much better and smoother because I just trusted he was with me, used my shoulders more (and trusted that he would read me) and ran like hell. There were several tunnel entries right on top of each other and he nailed every one of them.

Plus, falling @r$e up just once in public is MORE than enough motivation :rolleyes:

[Vickie]

This is the way I look at it.

If you are looking at your dog & your dog is looking at you, there is much potential for your dog to miss obstacles & for you to run into them. It is hard to set lines & both of your speed is limited.

If you run and focus ahead, your dog is likely to as well. You are less likely to run into stuff, your run is faster & your lines smoother. Your dog, if inexperienced, can still miss obstacles...but since you are driving ahead, it is easier to continue on like nothing happened. People who tend to look at their dogs a lot also tend to stop & get their dog to fix a "mistake". Since a dog missing an obstacle is a generally a handler, rather than a dog issue, fxing a mistake can be confusing & drmotivating for the dog.

I would take a fast happy, dog any day that incurs a fault due to handler error, rather than an uncertain/unmotivated one who runs clear.

[TerraNik]

Initially my agility trainer kept at me about looking at my dog, BUT I think it was because she wanted me to communicate more with my dog and have more of a connection, not necessarily stare at my dog the whole way round a course. In the early stages, if I wasn't looking at him at important moments, how would I know if I had to correct myself to steer him a different way, etc. With experimence, both for the dog an the handler, there would be a greater understanding and level of trust that would mean the amount of visual contact could be reduced.

For OB, it's the same for me. I have huge levels of trust with Jed and I feel no need to look at him (I can still see him out of the corner of my eye). With puppies I tend to use much more eye contact when they are learning.

[Vickie]

:rolleyes: that makes heaps of sense TN