Although many canine behaviors are intrinsic, most of your dog's behaviors don't come from thin air. Whether you know it or not, you are teaching your dog to behave the way he/she is. A good example of this is attention. Many dog owners know the feeling of just wishing their dog would pay attention to them when they give a command. Common ways that people are sabotaging their own efforts to get their dog to pay attention are as follows:
Talking too much or repeating yourself without having an impact
guilty. This is one that I struggle with. It is tempting to just get louder or to wonder if they heard you... trust me... they did.
Common ways you see this manifested is if you tell your dog to "stay" and they keep right on walking. You say it again, "No, STAY" the dog looks at you, judging your face. Hmm, the human seems serious, I guess I'll slow down and see what happens. You repeat yourself a few more times "stay", "Stay", "STAY!". At this point you have just used the command five times, and only the final time was the word actually associated with the behavior. The most common example of this I see is at the dog park, where the dog will be called; "Miko Come!" a number of times and the dog may not ever respond to it, being far too busy playing with his new buddies. If giving the command is not capturing your dog's attention stop using it for now. Find another way, or create a scenario where they will listen because otherwise the outcome is just you desensitizing the dog to your words. not so helpful.
Over-using the dog's name
Another very common one. Remember that the dog's name should be a pleasant stimulus that they associate with giving their attention to you. I see dogs blatantly ignoring their name being called for one big reason... it does not sound more fun or interesting than what they are doing, it is simply not worth it. If you frequently find yourself associating your dogs name with a harsh tone or the word "no" then there is a pretty good chance your dog is not a big fan of hearing their name come out of your mouth. Keep that association positive so that when you need them to pay attention to you (i.e. before running into the street) you are not calling their name to no avail. Practice associating their name with belly rubs, dinner time, walks, play time, and other good things.
Not following through
It takes time and effort, but it is very important to your dog's understanding of you that you follow through. If you asked him/her to sit, then the exercise is not complete until, one way or another, the dog has sat. This will keep your dog from being unsure as to whether you actually want him/her to sit when you say so.
Being unsure of yourself
As the dog's leader, it is imperative that you be sure of what you are asking. Watch yourself for things like, "Want to go for a walk?" or "Can you sit?" because these are times when you may be giving the leadership to the dog, in their minds, and they may read your tone as you being unsure. Instead, try for "Lets go on a walk" in a calm and assertive manner, or "Sit, please" with authority. Remember too that the words you use are for you - the dogs don't need them, so if you can communicate these things without words, all the better! In the end, the important thing is that you mean what you say and remain calm and confident.
Not being patient
Sometimes it takes a minute for the dog to snap out of what they are doing and give you what you have asked. Wait for that positive result and make sure that they receive some sort of reward for it, even if that is a simple "yes!" from you. Take the time to wait until they do it right and then make it worth the effort they put into it!!If you ask your dog to "go lie down" and he doesn't respond right away but you ignore him when he does finally do it, you have just communicated to him that you don't care much about it and it is totally acceptable for him to do it on his own schedule. Another great way to practice this is to set down a treat or food bowl and then simply wait... until the exact second your dog looks at you, then give the reward. This shows the dog that they way they get good things is by giving you their attention, how neat is that! It is a great exercise to do this in all scenarios with all types of things they want, examples include before you set down their food bowl at dinner or before entering the dog park for a playtime... just practice your patience and wait until you get their attention.
Attention is a key way that we help our dogs exist in our society, if they do not give us their attention we will struggle to tell them when situations are unsafe for them (such as approaching the wrong person, picking up the wrong "toy" or "treat", etc.). We want to make sure that we regularly communicate to them that their attention is appreciated and worth their time. Remember to be aware for those times of desensitization to the concept of responding to your words!
Talking too much or repeating yourself without having an impact
guilty. This is one that I struggle with. It is tempting to just get louder or to wonder if they heard you... trust me... they did.
Common ways you see this manifested is if you tell your dog to "stay" and they keep right on walking. You say it again, "No, STAY" the dog looks at you, judging your face. Hmm, the human seems serious, I guess I'll slow down and see what happens. You repeat yourself a few more times "stay", "Stay", "STAY!". At this point you have just used the command five times, and only the final time was the word actually associated with the behavior. The most common example of this I see is at the dog park, where the dog will be called; "Miko Come!" a number of times and the dog may not ever respond to it, being far too busy playing with his new buddies. If giving the command is not capturing your dog's attention stop using it for now. Find another way, or create a scenario where they will listen because otherwise the outcome is just you desensitizing the dog to your words. not so helpful.
Over-using the dog's name
Another very common one. Remember that the dog's name should be a pleasant stimulus that they associate with giving their attention to you. I see dogs blatantly ignoring their name being called for one big reason... it does not sound more fun or interesting than what they are doing, it is simply not worth it. If you frequently find yourself associating your dogs name with a harsh tone or the word "no" then there is a pretty good chance your dog is not a big fan of hearing their name come out of your mouth. Keep that association positive so that when you need them to pay attention to you (i.e. before running into the street) you are not calling their name to no avail. Practice associating their name with belly rubs, dinner time, walks, play time, and other good things.
Not following through
It takes time and effort, but it is very important to your dog's understanding of you that you follow through. If you asked him/her to sit, then the exercise is not complete until, one way or another, the dog has sat. This will keep your dog from being unsure as to whether you actually want him/her to sit when you say so.
Being unsure of yourself
As the dog's leader, it is imperative that you be sure of what you are asking. Watch yourself for things like, "Want to go for a walk?" or "Can you sit?" because these are times when you may be giving the leadership to the dog, in their minds, and they may read your tone as you being unsure. Instead, try for "Lets go on a walk" in a calm and assertive manner, or "Sit, please" with authority. Remember too that the words you use are for you - the dogs don't need them, so if you can communicate these things without words, all the better! In the end, the important thing is that you mean what you say and remain calm and confident.
Not being patient
Sometimes it takes a minute for the dog to snap out of what they are doing and give you what you have asked. Wait for that positive result and make sure that they receive some sort of reward for it, even if that is a simple "yes!" from you. Take the time to wait until they do it right and then make it worth the effort they put into it!!If you ask your dog to "go lie down" and he doesn't respond right away but you ignore him when he does finally do it, you have just communicated to him that you don't care much about it and it is totally acceptable for him to do it on his own schedule. Another great way to practice this is to set down a treat or food bowl and then simply wait... until the exact second your dog looks at you, then give the reward. This shows the dog that they way they get good things is by giving you their attention, how neat is that! It is a great exercise to do this in all scenarios with all types of things they want, examples include before you set down their food bowl at dinner or before entering the dog park for a playtime... just practice your patience and wait until you get their attention.
Attention is a key way that we help our dogs exist in our society, if they do not give us their attention we will struggle to tell them when situations are unsafe for them (such as approaching the wrong person, picking up the wrong "toy" or "treat", etc.). We want to make sure that we regularly communicate to them that their attention is appreciated and worth their time. Remember to be aware for those times of desensitization to the concept of responding to your words!
| | As you flip through this slideshow, can you tell which dog is mine? ;) |
