Do you find yourself trying hopelessly to get your dog’s attention? Does “in one ear and out the other” sound familiar? Or does your dog find it easy to listen to you until he sees the dreaded mail carrier? Whatever the case, it’s important that us owners are able to capture and hold our dog’s attention. Just imagine the consequences if our dog ran onto a busy road and was not able to listen to us calling him back!
In this article I will cover 5 simple tips you can apply immediately to help your dog become more attentive.
1- Brain Training
Brain training is a super effective way to increase your dog’s ability to pay attention to you!
Many of the games in my Brain Training for Dogs course are designed
to improve your dog’s attentiveness. One of my favorites is “The
Airplane Game,” which you can access for free. In this simple game your
dog will learn the following important skills:
- How to pay attention to you on command.
- How to maintain focus on you despite distractions – unlocking the pathway to super obedience.
- How to use his hidden intelligence to figure out puzzles.
2- The Smacking Sound
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a noise we could make at any time to
get our dog to immediately pay attention to us? Well, fortunately for us
there is, and it’s called the “smacking sound”! But before we can
harness its power, we need to teach our dog that this particular sound =
food.
To do this, with your dog in a quiet room, make a smacking sound as
though you were kissing the air, then immediately give him a treat. It
doesn’t matter what he’s doing when you give him the treat (so long as
he’s not doing anything bad like tearing up the sofa), the idea is
simply to show him that whenever he hears the sound, he gets treats.
After doing this for a while, you should notice that your dog looks at
you for his treat whenever you make the sound. With continued practice,
you can start using the smacking sound in everyday life when you want to
grab your dog’s attention!
Keep in mind, however, that the smacking sound may be less effective
at times when your dog is too worked up. For example, if he has seen
something outside that he reacts strongly to, your sound may go
unnoticed. One remedy for this is the “Look at That” game found in my Brain Training for Dogs course.
In “Look at That,” we will work specifically on teaching your dog to
pay attention to the smacking sound despite strong distractions.
3- The Importance of Incentives
How would you feel about the idea of working without getting paid?
This is exactly how our dogs may feel when we ask them to perform
mundane tasks without rewarding them for their efforts! That is why
incentives are so important in dog training.
There are many different types of incentive, but food rewards are the
most common. These rewards are given to a dog whenever he successfully
performs a certain action. So let’s say we just started teaching our dog
to “sit” for the first time. When he sits successfully, we would reward
his effort by slipping him a doggy biscuit or piece of kibble. Now, the
next time we ask him to sit, he will be eager to do so because he knows
that he will get something tasty in return!
In the Brain Training for Dogs program
I cover techniques which allow you to stop giving your dog a treat
every time he successfully performs a certain action, and also introduce
other forms of reward.
4- Reward Voluntary Check-ins
When you are out in the yard with your dog, how often does he pay
attention to you? Most likely, not very much, as he’s far too busy
exploring the world with his powerful sniffer. Maybe it’s time for a
little change…
Make it a habit when you are out in the yard to bring along some
high-value treats (e.g. plain cooked chicken slices). Keep these treats
handy in a pocket or treat bag. Now every time your dog happens to walk
within arm’s reach of you, praise him and extend your hand to offer him a
treat. If you do this often enough, positive reinforcement
will work its magic and you’ll soon notice your dog checking in with
you more and more. This is great news, because it means he is learning
that you are worthy of his attention!
5- Right Place, Right Time
Choosing to begin training sessions at the right place and time can
play a big role in whether or not your dog is able to pay attention.
It’s best to avoid training your dog when you first come home from
work and he is all eager and excited to greet you, or when he’s all
hyped up and bouncing off the walls after mealtime. Instead, wait until
your dog is calmer and more capable of focusing, and use these times to
your advantage.
You may also want to avoid training a new behavior in an environment
where there are lots of distracting sights, sounds, and smells (e.g. the
yard), as this makes it harder for your dog to stay focused on you.
Instead, try training in a quiet room at first. It’s also a good idea to
avoid rooms with windows if your dog is easily distracted by things he
sees outside.
Brain Training for Dogs
Like all the dog training programs I promote, Adrienne Farricelli’s training philosophy revolves around force-free methods.
Adrienne uses science-based training methods that focus on positive reinforcement.For your dog, this means training in the kindest way without fear or pain. For you, this means no feelings of guilt for hurting your dog. And the best part is a growing, deep bond between you and your dog. Remember that unique, fresh approach to dog training I mentioned?
Well, Adrienne’s Brain Training for Dogs taps into the incredible intelligence of your dog. Adrienne believes that developing your dog’s mental agility spills over into your dog’s obedience and behavior.
Here’s a short video showing you some of the cool brain training exercises you’ll teach your dog.
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