· By Minou Tpain
Author: Denise Partlow
Instagram: @modernk9 Carolinas
For most of us, we give our dogs a name, not just as a way to identify them but we choose names that are pleasurable to our ears. Many of us have an emotional attachment to that name.
But to your dog, it does not mean that at all. As you train your dog, it’s important to remember that his name really is just another verbal cue.
What do you want that verbal cue to represent? For me, I like for it to represent “pay attention”. I like to use their name right before I give them another verbal cue. It’s my way of saying “hey listen up, I’m about to give you a command” because in real life situations our dogs are not always sitting right in front of us focusing on our every move. In real life, they can be easily distracted, so it gives them a chance to process that you are requiring their attention so that you do not have to repeat your request.
No matter what, you want your dog to view his name as something positive.
But how do we help to create this association?
Well, through positive interactions of course.
But what does that look like?
Here are some activities you can start with:
-say your dog’s name, if he looks at you, mark & reward. You can use treats or you can practice this at meal time. Call your dog’s name, if he looks at you, mark & reward with his entire bowl. Do that for every meal for a week straight and you should start to see a difference. Just make sure that you are saying your dog’s name in the same way you would typically do it in a real life situation if you were trying to get his attention.
Once you practice that for a week or two then start practicing it randomly throughout the day. Call your dog’s name, if he looks at you mark & reward with a treat. You will know if it’s working if your dog is enthusiastically looking at you or heading your way. You can even take this practice outdoors when you feel your dog has mastered it indoors.
And as your dog becomes more advanced you can start weaning off of the rewards. Maybe when you are outdoors you ask for your dog’s attention five times but he only gets rewarded two of those times.
The next post will discuss why your dogs recall may be inconsistent.
