The simple trick that makes dogs obey: point and hold eye contact

Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna found a simple, effective way to communicate with dogs. Any dog owner knows how challenging it can be to capture a furry friend’s attention and get them to obey commands. Animal behavior scientists discovered a straightforward method that encourages dogs to listen more attentively and follow human cues. The technique is simple: point at an object while making eye contact with the dog.

So, how did the study unfold? The researchers enlisted 20 dogs of various breeds, including mixed breeds, Staffordshire Terriers, Australian Shepherds, and Poodles. Each dog wore a helmet equipped with eye-tracking technology. The researchers sat opposite the dogs, with bowls placed on either side of them—one bowl contained a treat. The dogs had to choose the “correct” bowl based on the researchers’ signals. The team presented several scenarios, each repeated six times, as reported by the Daily Mail. Specifically, the scientists either pointed to the bowl while looking at the dog, pointed and looked at the bowl simultaneously, or simply looked at the bowl. They also used a classic ruse: pretending to throw a ball while actually holding it in their hand.

Footage from the helmets showed that dogs responded best when the researcher pointed and looked at the bowl of treats at the same time. The paper reports, “When pointing and maintaining eye contact, dogs sustained their attention on the referent longer compared to other conditions and approached it significantly more often than in cases of random selection.” Dogs did worst when the scientists pretended to throw the ball. The authors concluded that watching an object and using a pointing gesture are both effective tactics for training domestic animals, but using both together was the most successful way to get pets to follow commands. The study adds, “The simultaneous use of a pointing gesture and focused gaze is an especially effective method for directing dogs’ attention to an object.” The findings were published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.