Dog Training. Does Your Dog Listen?
There are three things every dog MUST know.Three commands every dog must know for their safety and their families sanity.
Most dog owners want a dog that does three behaviors consistently. Today we’ll explore the first of the three “Must Know Commands”, define it so that we (and our dog) are on the same page. So to speak.
The First ‘command…ment’ is: (your dog’s name here)
Your dog’s name IS a command.
When you say your dogs name you expect something from him. Right?
When your dog hears you say his name you get ‘something’, some response or behavior, right? So then what do you expect from your dog when you say his name?
Do you expect your dog to:
A) come to you
B) turn and look at you
C) either is fine
D) I don’t expect anything of my dog. He’s not that bright
Most dog owners I’ve met say something like,” He can either come to me or look that’s what I want” ( C ). What’s is your answer?
The correct answer is “B”.
When we say our dog’s name what we really want is our dog’s attention. Every time.
Want your dog to respond to ANY command consistently? Train him to look at you EVERY time he hears his name. Think of any each command as having only ONE definition. One expected behavior. Just one. One consistent response to one word or one exact phrase. By being consistent you are clearly communicating to your dog exactly what you are looking from him every time.
The value of training: Dog’s Name=Attention
Training your dog to consistently look at you when he hears his name makes every other behavior/command you teach him easier. (of course, you now have a dependable way to first GET his attention)
For example: All of us speak the word “come” in our daily conversations: when we’re on the phone, to a friend, to a family member in sentence: as in ‘come sit down dinner is no the table”, or to our dog when we want him to come to us. Training him with “Name=Attention” will clarify when the verbal communication applies to him and when he can chill out and just be.. a dog.
Next:Part 2- The command that’s not really a command.