Capture attention

Encourage attention by randomly catching your dog looking at you. Don't try to elicit or lure attention. Wait until she looks at you, then say "Yes!" (or click) and treat. It helps to have treats in convenient places around the house or in your pocket. Wait for attention before you open the door to let your dog outside or put his leash on to take a walk. In these situations, you don't need a treat. She will earn a "life reward" — going outside or going for a walk.

Prompt your dog to look at you

Work in a quiet, familiar setting. Show your dog a treat and then hold it off to your side. Wait until she looks at you, then say "Yes!" (or click) and treat. At first, a quick glance in the direction of your face is enough. If she doesn't look at you, make a sound to get his attention. It doesn't matter if she sits, lies down or stands. Practice this exercise before meals. Measure out your dog's food, set the bowl on the counter and use kibble to do 5 reps of attention. Do not use a verbal cue yet.

Verbal cue

Once your dog responds readily to the prompt for attention and gives you direct eye contact, it's time to add the verbal cue. Say "Watch me" or "Look". Pause a moment, then hold a treat off to your side. Wait until she looks at you, then say "Yes!" (or click) and treat. After a few reps, she may look at you during the pause. That means he's starting to understand the verbal cue. You won't need the prompt any more. Just use it as a hint, in case she forgets the cue.

Duration & release word

When your dog is responding well to the verbal cue, slowly increase the length of time she must look at you to about 5 seconds. While she is looking at you, say "good dog" and fuss over him. Give her a few treats while she continues to look at you. Release her with a release word, such as "okay" or "break". Don't give her a treat after you release him. The reward should be associated with watching you, not the release. If she looks away before your release, start over with a lower time requirement. Notice that in this step we are switching to from a reward marker to general praise.

Distractions

If your dog is doing well with duration, gradually add distractions to this exercise. In the beginning, the distractions should be very mild, such as children playing in a park at a distance. Slowly and steadily move closer to the distraction. Make sure she is successful each time before increasing difficulty.