Eye contact is the basis of all your training. Establishing eye contact with your puppy builds a connection and helps focus their attention on you. Dogs do not look at each other. Anything more than 3 seconds can be confrontational in dog communication.

We need to teach our puppy that people like eye contact. You can start by teaching a "watch me". Bring a treat under their nose, then bring the treat to your eyes, say "watch me". Once they look at your face, reward. It only needs to be a quick 'check-in'. They may not connect with your eyes the first couple of times. Don't worry it will come.

Tip - avoid getting your face too close to theirs, as this is likely to make them turn away.