# What is the "Watch" command and some other questions



## JayBen (Aug 30, 2012)

I've been training with my 10 month old now for a little while. We've been through 2 basic obedience classes (one on leash and one off leash). As I read on here I'm learning a lot from you all and from the videos you've posted. Right now she knows sit, down, stand. She knows the whole concept of heel and is great at figure 8's and other movements. Her stays are good...I'm working on really building up the time now. And recall is really getting there as well. Were working on leave it. Recently I've been really trying to get her to ignore other dogs/animals/birds/people on walks and focus on me. She is a very social dog and wants attention from anyone walking by. This is my fault as I've let her carry on like this for a while. I've been making her heel by people and dogs and she's doing great. Today I saw a bird that she wanted and I said her name and she focused on me and I treated her. What exactly is the "watch" command? _I think_ its for high distraction areas where I want 100% attention on me. Am I correct? It seems like a great command if thats what it is but how exactly do I teach it? 
I plan on taking a CGC class in the fall. Is there anything besides for what I'm currently doing to prep for CGC?


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

Watch me is a great tool for getting her to pay attention to you and not other things that might be more interesting.

I teach "watch me" this way. I place a treat in one hand while she is watching then I hold both arms straight out at my sides ( like a figure T) she will watch that hand that has the treat but as soon as she looks at your face say "watch me" and give her the treat. I dont use a lot of treats I will hold toys too. It is as soon as she looks at you you praise like crazy. Make sure to use the command so that when you are out walking when you say "watch me" she looks at you.


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## Treatpouch (Apr 26, 2013)

The "watch" cue is for asking your dog to look at you, instead of looking at other things.

However, if you are working on distraction training, it is actually more effective to teach your dog "look at that"; that is, have the dog look at distractions on cue. In the end, the dog learns to observe distractions, but then look back to you for reinforcement.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

JayBen said:


> Today I saw a bird that she wanted and I said her name and she focused on me and I treated her. What exactly is the "watch" command? _I think_ its for high distraction areas where I want 100% attention on me. Am I correct? It seems like a great command if thats what it is but how exactly do I teach it?


Seems like you already have a good idea based on how you handled the bird.... 

Watch is definitely a command that comes in handy - especially if you go on and enter the ring with her. But even with the CGC test when you do all the friendly stranger stuff. 

You can call her name and as soon as she looks at you - MARK (clicker, yes + good "watch"). After you do a few of these, you can move on to NAME + WATCH and the instant she looks at you - throw a party. 

You will start doing these in a place and distraction level where she can be successful each and every time. And gradually move out to more distractions. And start asking for longer watches before you release and reward her. 

It should not be very long before you have a working command "WATCH" in a class situation.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

General V said:


> Watch me is a great tool for getting her to pay attention to you and not other things that might be more interesting.
> 
> I teach "watch me" this way. I place a treat in one hand while she is watching then I hold both arms straight out at my sides ( like a figure T) she will watch that hand that has the treat but as soon as she looks at your face say "watch me" and give her the treat. I dont use a lot of treats I will hold toys too. It is as soon as she looks at you you praise like crazy. Make sure to use the command so that when you are out walking when you say "watch me" she looks at you.


I did it the same way, except that I had a treat in both hands, and moved one hand to my mouth before giving her the treat. If she even looked at my hand out of the corner of her eye, I stopped moving, and repeated, "look at me." She picked this up within a few minutes.


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## JayBen (Aug 30, 2012)

Awesome I'm going to start working on it tonight. I really appreciate all your help. I think it will be a great command for her to know.


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

Watch me is also a good tool when the pups go through the stage of barking at something new, something blowing in the wind ect. I'm taking Bentley out to whatever he's barking at and say "watch me" this gets him close to the "scary item" but his focus is on me, not it.
It's working well. He gets to see that thing isn't scary and I'm not coddling him. 
Good luck


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## coaraujo (Nov 2, 2012)

I started teaching Watch Me the same way, but I'm really struggling with distractions. Oliver does great in the house, in the backyard, in class. Today we went for a walk and in the beginning of the walk he was doing pretty well, but towards the end he wasn't responding whatsoever. Am I not throwing a big enough party? When you're in a really distracting environment what exactly do you do to make Watch Me more rewarding than all the great smells and sights? Our CGC test is in a week and I'm getting SO nervous. He's doing great, but I want our Watch Me to be a little stronger before hand. Maybe I should whip out the beefaroni this week  Also, like Bentley'sMom said I use watch me when my boys bark as well. Its great, especially once you've started training a longer eye contact hold!


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I play "grab the butt" with mine. I try to grab the butt, my dog spins to keep his butt away from me. If I can grab his butt, I call out "ha ha I yer butt!" and we play.

I don't have a command that means to watch me. They should always be aware of me enough to know if I am trying to get a butt grab in.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

Loisiana said:


> I play "grab the butt" with mine. I try to grab the butt, my dog spins to keep his butt away from me. If I can grab his butt, I call out "ha ha I yer butt!" and we play.
> 
> I don't have a command that means to watch me. They should always be aware of me enough to know if I am trying to get a butt grab in.


What if the dog likes have her but grabbed?

I'll try it right now, and report back. 


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

Sometimes she spun away, sometimes she didn't. I suppose it takes a few times before they catch on. It definitely put her in a playful mood. 


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

The result of the butt grab should always be for the dog to spin towards you. If they don't turn towards you, grab harder until they understand the game. Once they know what's going on, they will try to keep it away from you, just like if you knew a certain person would always try to pinch your butt when they passed by, you would start keeping an eye on them and keeping your posterior out of their reach.


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

Loisiana said:


> The result of the butt grab should always be for the dog to spin towards you. If they don't turn towards you, grab harder until they understand the game. Once they know what's going on, they will try to keep it away from you, just like if you knew a certain person would always try to pinch your butt when they passed by, you would start keeping an eye on them and keeping your posterior out of their reach.


I love this, thank you! Oh Bentley..Come to mama.......


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

And also, when you do a butt grab and they spin to face you, always reward that! I reward it with play, but you could use food. But if you grab, they spin, and you just carry on, then you are nagging.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

It makes her want to play tug. LOL


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I've got to ask.... if you have your dog in heel position or sitting in front of you.... how do you do the butt grab? Are you reaching back or letting them forge out of heel position....?


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Nairb said:


> It makes her want to play tug. LOL
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


That means your doing it right! If you have a toy on you, hold it in front of you so when they spin they can immediately latch on to the toy and get a game of tug in.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Megora said:


> I've got to ask.... if you have your dog in heel position or sitting in front of you.... how do you do the butt grab? Are you reaching back or letting them forge out of heel position....?



During actual competition heeling I don't use it because I don't need to give Flip any encouragement on forging. If he looks away during heeling I reach straight down to grab/push, then I step away so he has to come towards me. I do use it if we're just doing loose leash walking or even a loose "field" heel. In that case, yes I would reach back, step back, or whatever I needed to do to attempt to reach his rear.

If they're actually doing a front, I wouldn't use it because by the time/motion it would require to reach there would be way too much. 

I don't actually use it all that much while they are performing skills, I use it more for just daily life, walking between exercises, whatever. If my dog isn't under command, he doesn't have to be staring at me, but I do still want him aware of me and what I am doing. It might not be eyes staring at a me attention, but there needs to always be a part of his brain keeping up with what I'm doing. So if he's looking elsewhere I will reach down to give him a butt tag. If he still has that small part of his brain on me, then he will notice the motion and get his rear out of the way. If he has totally forgotten my presence, then I can do the grab and redirect his attention back to me.

The dogs think it's a hilarious giant game.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

OK. I was imagining you doing all kinds of backwards contortions... even if Flip is a little guy.  

I goose my guys when they are walking ahead of me. This was dangerous with Jacks when he was younger and any kind of encouragement turned him into Happy Jaws. <- Did I mention that until he was about 2, I always had bruises on my legs and arms from him?


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I currently do the paw pinch. It would be much easier to grab her butt in a hurry (I hope this statement is never used out of context! Lol!). I'm going to try it out tonight. Thanks!


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

Just got back from our off leash walk in the park. Did three butt pinches while we were in the open field. Zoomies to exhaustion all three times.


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## JayBen (Aug 30, 2012)

I didn't realize my thread got so long...lol I'm going to try the butt grab right now...after I stop laughing. 

BTW I've been working on the "regular?" "Watch me" as some of you originally advised. It's going extremely well. She might glance at the treat for a sec but then its eyes on me. I think she's doing so well because we've been working on Kikopup's first part of leave it training where I put the food down on the ground and wait for her to back off and make eye contact and she gets a treat. She just loves looking at me now


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Watch for and reward 'offered' attention - as well. Any time, and especially on walks, she voluntarily 'checks in' (chooses to make eye contact without you asking for it) should be 'marked' (with 'yes') and rewarded. This is a behavior you definitely want her to repeat.


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