by Mary Green
“My dog won’t listen.” “My dog is just stubborn.”
Have you said that sort of thing about your dog? Perhaps the issue is that you are telling your dog what to do, but you have not captured his attention. Honestly, the dog might not know that you are talking to him. There is often a lot of chatter as you talk to other people or to yourself. It can be confusing to a dog and frustrating to the owner.
Before you request something from your dog, be sure to get his attention. That’s the fair and right thing to do. If you want your partner, your child, your coworker to respond to you, wouldn’t you first say the person’s name? What if you’re out shopping and you can’t locate an item? You see a store employee nearby, so you say, “Excuse me, where can I find the Milk-Bone dog treats?”
The best way to get someone to do something is to first get the person’s attention. It’s the same with our dogs. If we want our dog to do something — or stop doing something — we need to get his attention.
One of our foundation skills is to teach our dogs that the dogs’ names come with a paycheck. I want them to be responsive to their names. We want our dogs to think that their names are the most wonderful words they have ever heard. And when you say the names, good things will follow.
Play the Name Game
A simple process that we call the Name Game helps to condition your dogs to look to you when you say their names. With practice, your dogs will develop a reflex response to their names, and they automatically will think “TREAT!”
It’s easy and fun to teach! Have a supply of small dog treats handy. Choose a spot in your house with minimal distractions — just you and the dog. Say your dog’s name one time, in your cheerful tone.
As soon as the dog turns his head toward you, say “Yes!” and give him a treat. He might already be looking at you, and that’s OK. Wait for that moment when he looks toward your face rather than at your hands or the treats.
The Name Game is a high-repetition exercise. You could do this a dozen times in a row. The dog begins to form an association between the word (his name) and receiving the reward.
As your dog becomes successful in one location, add various locations and situations. Always make sure that you have reinforcement (treats) and that you say the name with intention.
If you have asked for the dog’s attention by saying the name, you must be prepared to give your undivided attention to your dog. That’s how you show intent.
Once your dog responds quickly to the name, expecting the treat, you can add life rewards. For instance, I could say, “Maui? Do you want to go for a walk?” She has a positive association with her name, and she has a positive association with the word walk (or maybe it’s the phrase.)
Keep Things Positive
If your dog does not look toward you when you say his name, do something different. Make a funny noise (kissing sound, clicking sound, etc.). Try not to repeat the name.
The hardest part of the Name Game is learning to NEVER say your dog’s name in a harsh tone of voice or as part of a reprimand.
Once your pup responds to the name happily and reliably, you can readily train skills such as coming when called and staying when told.
If you need to interrupt your dog because he is doing something that needs to stop, try saying his name to get his attention, then redirect him to do something else. For example, “Maui, let’s get this toy” (instead of getting in the trash).
Competing with the distractions of nature that interest your dog can be a real challenge. If you need to get your dog’s attention off a squirrel hunt, for example, you might need to use an emphatic cue. In that instance, you should not use the name but should say “HEY! You stop that!” or something similar. Don’t use the name in a harsh manner. Believe me, it’s hard to avoid!
If you haven’t seen Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, check it out. Dr. Kim Brophey, in her Family Dog Mediation program, says, “Mr. Rogers mastered the art of gently addressing the difficult situations children might find themselves in, and giving them good simple strategies to cope with those situations.”
You can take a conversational tone with your dogs to help them know what’s happening. If my dogs are in the car expecting to go to work and I stop off somewhere, I will tell them, “Ladies, I’m just stopping for gas.” I can’t say conclusively whether they understand every word, but I do that because I think they understand.
The best results will happen when you have clear communication with your dogs. They will be eager to give you their attention when you act with intention.
Mary Green is a Certified Professional
Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), Certified Dog Behavior Counselor (CDBC), and Certified Nose
Work Instructor (CNWI) at K9 Manners & More in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
