Episode #19 Forcing Your Dog to Look at You

Jonathan Katz spent years forcing his dogs to stare at him — and it cost him points every time he stepped on the field. This episode is about what he did instead. The problem with micromanaged attention is simple: whatever you have to hold together in training falls apart in trial, because the thing propping it up isn't there anymore. So Jonathan flipped it. Position stays a requirement. Attention becomes something the dog offers, and the reward for offering it is his eyes. He walks through the exercise itself — walk, say nothing, let the dog look around, mark the moment they look up — and gets into why withholding your own attention is one of the most powerful tools you have. Plus: why heeling is really worth closer to 67 points than 20, why he won't pay a stay unless the dog is looking at him, and how his heeling scores went from the mid-teens to a 20 out of 20. "Don't force the dog to love you. Encourage the dog to love you." CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro — micromanaging the heel 00:34 Why forced attention falls apart on the field 01:35 Only God gets 100 01:54 Flip it and reverse it 02:23 Position is a requirement, attention isn't 03:30 The National Championship photo 04:38 Handler help vs. extra commands: where the points go 05:34 The relationship where you get jabbed vs. smiled at 06:28 Eye contact as the bond 07:28 Stays in front of a decoy — pay only for eyes 09:02 The exercise: walk, say nothing, mark the look 10:12 We're not trying to create Stockholm syndrome 10:55 Why the system is built on offered attention 11:17 Getting off the lure fast 11:42 Can you tell a friend it's time to leave with your eyes? 12:03 Sponsor: Indy Raw — Cutting Edge K9 CBD + giveaway 16:53 Forcing yourself to like mushrooms 18:19 Stare at me so hard I have to look at you 18:51 The scores: from a 14 to a 20 out of 20 19:21 Heeling is 67 points, not 20 20:19 The challenge 20:39 Room service: how to pay a stay 21:20 Don't force the dog to love you 22:28 Cougar, Puma, Cheetah — how little force can I use? SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by Indy Raw and their Cutting Edge K9 CBD. Jonathan has used it for about ten years for thunderstorms, recovery, and cramps in intact females. As he says in the episode: this is not veterinary advice — talk to your vet about your dog. 🎁 GIVEAWAY — 500mg bottle of canine hemp isolate Tell us the website where we found the Dogma property. Answer in the comments. ABOUT DOGMA ACADEMY Dogma Academy for Dog Trainers, Mart, Texas — in-person instruction, seminars, and a 30-day virtual mentorship for working dog handlers and professional trainers. Instagram: @dogmaacademyfordogtrainers.llc @katzknowsdogs #dogtraining #heeling #psa #protectionsports #balanceddogtraining #operantconditioning #malinois #workingdogs #dogtrainingpodcast #attentionheelin ======================== TAGS (put these in the upload section under 'Tags' on youtube to help with search): attention heeling, heeling dog training, micromanaging heel, operant attention, offered attention dog training, PSA protection sports association, PDC, negative punishment dog training, balanced dog training, dog training podcast, Jonathan Katz, Dogma Academy, malinois heeling, obedience scores, working dog training, loose leash heel, dog eye contact