Getting Your Dog’s Attention
How To Get Your Dog’s Attention and Why It’s Important
Always make sure you have your dog’s attention before giving a command. If you don’t have your dog’s attention, it’s not fair to immediately give a correction if she doesn’t listen to you. She may not have heard you or she may not know you’re talking to her. She doesn’t have to look at you, but you need to know you have her attention. She can look at you, or move her head, or twitch her ear. If you are unable to get your dog to pay attention to you, it may be possible that you are asking your dog to do something she is not capable of doing — your dog may not be able to focus long enough to give you her attention. You might read my blog article titled “Be Reasonable” and my video on “Energy Management” to find out if this is the case.
- Say your dog’s name in a normal voice one time and wait a full two to three seconds.
- If you don’t get any of the above listed responses, say her name a second time.
- Don’t keep saying your dog’s name! This just teaches your dog NOT to listen to you.
- Do not raise your voice to get your dog’s attention. In the long run it will have the opposite effect and get her to start tuning you out.
- If you still don’t have her attention blow on the top of her head.
- If you still don’t have her attention, take a couple of steps away from the spot you are on, regroup and start all over.
- NEVER give a collar correction to get your dog’s attention! Collar corrections are only for when you have already given a command and she doesn’t do what you told her to do.
- Once you have your dog’s attention, DO SOMETHING WITH IT! If you don’t give a command and then praise her once you have her attention, she will quickly figure out there is no reason to pay attention to you.
