| Well, that is an old saw the disregards the fact that dogs are very perceptive as to what kind of eye contact. Dogs read the difference between hard/challenging eye contact and soft and friendly eye contact very well indeed. They are most adept at understanding all forms of body language including posture, facial expression and eye contact. This is one of their main communication tools used within their own species as well as with their interrelationships with humans. They are very hard to fool in this regard and their skills outstrip our's by miles.
Food is an excellent motivational tool for operant conditioning and has time honored use in behavioral studies. |