Dog obedience doesn’t come naturally for most dogs. Even for house-trained pets, dog obedience is a product of time, training, and attention from dog owners. The moment you acquire a pet or a dog, you must also condition yourself to train, feed, and take care of your new buddy whenever possible!
One of the most frustrating parts of doggy training is getting your dog to be more attentive to you when you call for them. And when it comes to dangerous situations, this can prove to be a safety hazard!
If you relate to this issue, then it’s time you sit down and read on to learn how to get your dog to take notice of you when you call for them.
No-No’s in Name Recall
A dog’s behavior is not necessarily their fault. Most of the time, when we lack knowledge on how to train a dog, it manifests in how our dogs behave. Just like with your dog’s name recall, here are some reasons why as they don’t come to you when you call them:
It’s important to reward your dog every now and then. But you may forget to reward your dog more than you should! When you forget to reward your dog, they lose interest.
One of the biggest no-no’s is to use their name when you’re angry. When you say their name in an angry tone, they get sensitive and believe that you’re out to punish them. So, make sure to never use their name if, let’s say, they ate your work report! They’ll make that negative association, leading them to avoid you when calling for them.
Dogs have the tendency to ignore you when you are being repetitive. This is also because they get distracted easily! Learn how to gauge their proficiency so you can see when they’re ready for more difficult tasks.
Dog Training Is Key
When it comes to puppy training, it’s fresh and it’s new, not just for your new buddy but also for you. Now, there are steps you can do one by one with your dog.
Step One: Choose a single word to come with their name. Anything that’s clear to say with a single-syllable would do. Try the words “here,” “back,” “now,” “stop,” or “down,” to name a few. Make sure to save your chosen word only when it’s necessary!
Step Two: Associate calling them with giving them treats. Keep a distance from them, call their name, and give them a treat when they come running to you. Repeat this a couple of times before taking a break, then repeat again before concluding the session!
Keep in mind to watch out for critical details like not showing your reward first, and to keep distractions at a minimum during your training time.
Take It to Different Locations
Puppy training can be done both indoors and outdoors. But to begin, indoors would be a safer bet because here, you can isolate your dog from distractions, and you can keep an eye on them more. Think of it as training your dog in a classroom, before they go out to the outside world.
With indoor training, make sure to prepare rewards that are not within sight or within reach of your dog. Keep doing the name recall activity until they get used to it, each time with a larger distance from your dog. Whenever they find themselves distracted, let them explore until they return their attention back to you. Remember, consistency is key—so keep at it!
Once you think that your dog is ready for the outside world, try taking them outside little by little. Make sure you’ve built a solid rapport and training foundation indoors with your dog because there are tons of distractions outside!
Let them explore the outdoors, that’s what they do! Keep them on a long, training leash so that you don’t lose them as they wander around. Every now and then, call them back and see them come running back to you.
Conclusion
Make training time fun for you and your dog. This way, it will be easy to associate training with fun. You won’t only get to teach your dog to be obedient, but you will also be spending lots of time with him/her.
Are you looking for more useful information for training your dog? Dog Obedience Training Blogs is dedicated to giving every dog owner all the tips and tricks your dog will need! Check out our entries and learn more about how to train your dog!