How often have you found yourself attempting to get your dog’s attention without much success? Does it appear that all your commands “go in one ear of your dog or puppy’s ear and swiftly out the other?” Is this a familiar scenario when you start your dog training? Or maybe your dog finds it easy to pay attention until he sees something that is far more interesting such as another dog or person?
Whatever the case, as the dog owner, it’s vital that we learn how to capture and hold our dog’s attention. We need to do this. Not only to make him obedient but to also keep him save from danger such him running off towards a busy road! The consequences of not having an obedient dog you can recall immediately are unbearable to think about.
5 Hints and Tips to gain your dog’s attention
In this article, would cover the 5 simple tips you can use immediately to help your dog’s attention.
1. Brain Training to get your dog’s attention
So, what is Brain training? Well, it turns out that it is an effective way to assist your dog’s ability to pay attention to you!
The games that Adrienne suggests are from her Brain Training for Dogs course, and they’re designed to help improve your dog or puppy’s attentiveness. One of Adrienne’s favourites is “The Airplane Game,” which she offers for free It’s more like a ‘taster game’ you and your dog can give it a test run absolutely free. Within this simple game, your dog will learn the following important skills:
- How to pay attention to commands.
- The ability to remain focused on you, and ignore distractions – which in turn leads towards your dog achieving super obedience.
- Your dog will learn how to use his hidden intelligence to figure out puzzles.
To grab your dog’s attention immediately, Adrienne found the easiest and less stressful was to make some noise. A noise that will stop your dog in his tracks, but doesn’t frighten him, but it does arouse his natural curiosity? Well, fortunately for us Adrienne developed one and it’s called the “smacking sound”! But to ensure we can harness the ‘smacking sound’ power, we need to teach our dog that this particular sound will equal food or a treat.
How it works
To start, you need to make the smacking sound, and then immediately give the treat to your dog!
You and your dog will need to be in a quiet room. Now make a smacking sound as though you were kissing the air, then immediately give him a treat.
It doesn’t matter at this stage what he’s doing (so long as he’s not naughty or destructive) when you give him the treat. The idea is to get your dog’s attention by letting him know that sound is a treat on its way. After a while of practising this routine, you’ll start to notice your dog looking at you for his treat whenever you make the sound. Once you feel confident your pet is responding to the ‘smacking sound’ to get his attention, you can start using it in everyday life.
Becomes less effective
However, there is something you may need to keep mind, and that’s is if your dog is too worked up the smacking sound will be less effective. As an example, he may not hear the sound if he’s concentrating on something outside that makes react strongly to. Unnoticed. One remedy this Adrienne suggested is the “Look at That” game found in her brain Training for Dogs course. In “Look at That,” you work specifically on teaching your dog to pay attention to the smacking sound despite strong distractions.
Don’t like the Sound?
3. The Importance of Incentives
In the Brain Training for Dogs program, Adrienne covers techniques which will progress to you being able to stop giving your dog a treat every time. When he successfully performs a certain action, you’ll learn how to introduce other forms of reward.
4. Reward Voluntary Check-ins
If so, now is probably a good time to makes some little changes…Do you notice when in the yard or garden with your dog, you are no longer the centre of his universe? He ignores you or even forgets you’re there? Why? Because he’s far too busy exploring his domain with his powerful investigative nose.
Start by making it a habit for you have some high-value treats (e.g. plain cooked chicken slices) whenever you and your dog are out in the yard.
Have the treats handy in a pocket or treat bag. Now, each time your dog walks within arm’s reach of you, praise him with low but firm voice and offer him a treat. When you do this often enough, positive reinforcement starts to work its magic. You’ll start to notice your dog glancing over at you. He’s keeping you insight and checking in with you more and more. This is an excellent result as it means he is discovering you’re worthy of his attention! Adrienne rewards her dog for voluntarily checking in on her when out in the yard.
5. Right Place, Right Time
When is the best time to start your training sessions? Time and place will play a big role in whether or not your dog can pay enough attention to his training sessions.
Returning home, you’re dog is ecstatic to greet you. He’ll be unable to concentrate on anything else but your welcome home. So, it’s not the best time, and you should avoid training your dog, and he is all eager and excited to greet you. Also, you may find he’s all hyped up and bouncing off the walls after mealtimes too. Wait until your dog calms down and is more capable of focusing on the tasks ahead.
Environment to get your dog’s attention
Avoid training a new behaviour or task in an environment where there are lots of distracting sights, sounds, and smells. For example, you may find the yard or park makes it harder for your dog to concentrate on you. Instead, choose a quiet room or any quiet area at first. Rooms with windows can become distracting if your dog can see things outside, pull the drapes or blinds or find a quieter place.
