How to Teach a Dog its name

The world is so new to your dog and all very distracting. So naming your dog is a great way of not only getting your dogs attention but the foundation of all obedience training

Why should I teach my dog to respond to their name?

We all have a duty by law to keep our dogs under control at all times. The best way to do this is to teach your pet to acknowledge their own name when you call it

Whether it is an emergency situation, in the company of other dogs or other environmental distractions it is integral that your dog sees their response to the acknowledgement of their name as rewarding

BASIC THINGS TO START WITH

As with most obedience training it can be very distracting and taxing on your dog, so it is important that you keep calm as your dog will react to your mood

Lets start in a calm, quiet location that is free from distractions. The presence of other people and dogs will be too much for such a young mind

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

As is the case with most training, patience is key. The old saying is practise makes perfect and this is no different. The hard work and invested time will be worth it.

We recommend that you practice your name training a minimum of 10 times a day

Stand roughly 6 feet away from your dog and say their name clearly, once your dog looks in your direction reward their behaviour with a positive word such as “yes” or “good boy/girl” and provide a treat

MAINTAIN FOCUS

Lets focus on the task at hand, Do not muddle the dogs task by asking them to sit after the great work of responding to their name. It is important to reward one thing at once

Your dog will learn very quickly that their attention to you receives praise and reward and will soon start to give you attention on a regular basis

Now that your dog is acknowledging their name maybe we can look at some other training techniques

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