Let him get interested in something and then call, “Bobbie, come,” in an upbeat voice while running backward, away from the dog. Then, toss it in your hand. Turn off devices such as phones and televisions. Clickers are most effective when used in tandem with treats. Don’t add in distractions too quickly! Then, you can start the real training. Stay calm and be patient. Any tips on how to do this with a blind puppy? The next time your dog doesn’t listen to you, consider if she truly understands the question.) Toys – which toys? Your dog may act very frustrated or upset when you won’t play with him. For tips from our Veterinary co-author on how to teach your dog to focus using its favorite toy, read on! Clickers are useful because they provide a sound that is more consistent than your own voice or vocal commands. Do not move. Dogs have different attention spans. Turn off devices such as phones and televisions. If your dog has stopped offering to look at you and is clearly engaged in something else, you may have added too many distractions – move away or remove the distractions until your dog can focus on you. When you need take your dog outside for a potty break, ask her to touch the bells with her nose right before you open the door. This generally means that he’ll need to maintain eye contact with you without getting distracted. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. A clicker can be bought at a pet supply store for very little money. Make sure you take play breaks and that you keep these training sessions short, say 10 minutes. Mix it up by running away from your dog just as they approach you. Try putting your hand in front of your dog’s face, the palm of your hand right in front his nose. Play with your dog and see which toys are “higher value” to him. Only after they poop outside, should you allow them to run around and play freely. Consistency is key for getting dogs to learn a given behavior. You can do it by teaching … When we are training our dogs, we are usually focused almost solely on getting them to do what we want. To get your dog to stop chasing cats, practice this often and soon your dog will learn that looking at you is better than wandering off on their own. Sitting still and paying unwavering attention to a human that is trying to get them to do something that they may or may not even like doing is definitely not natural. It is the best that you take your pet outside every hour if you are free. These toys should then become “reward toys” – toys he only gets after doing what you asked of him. Encourage your dog to chase you, but never play games that involve you chasing your dog. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. Your Timing is Off. Too many words or touches can confuse dogs about your approval or disapproval. Choose to “Heel” – This exercise teaches your dog to pay attention to you even while moving (you can also use it to teach leash manners!). Instead, simply give him verbal praise and pet him. Wave the treat in front of his face and pull the treat up to your eye level as you say “look at me.” As soon as the dog looks at you, give him the treat. He’s turning his head every which way, he’s staring off into the distance, he’s rolling around on the ground, he may even be lunging and barking at the bird that just flew by. via Shutterstock. Almost all dogs are going to need to be taught how to pay attention – or, more accurately, you are going to condition your dog so that paying attention to you is more rewarding than anything else. Increase the amount of distractions slowly. When you begin training your dog to focus, you want to start in a place with as few distractions as possible. An indoor space in your house may be ideal. For example, teach your dog to touch your hand or look you in the eye on command. % of people told us that this article helped them. That will defeat the training. It's a tool that makes small clicking sounds to signal to the dog that he's done a good job. This will cause your dog to lose focus and fail. Treats/food First off, take your dog out for a quick jaunt to expel any excess physical energy that your herder might have (which is probably a lot), this will really help them foc… By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Many dogs respond even better to lots of praising and pets than to a high-value treat. … She has the drive and focuses on me, but when I make a left turn, she looks away then back at me. The relationship between you and your dog is a strong bond. There are a number of things that you can do to get your husky to pay attention to you. Well let’s say you see your dog give you a glance when outside in the garden or on a walk you could mark that behaviour and then give an appropriate reinforcer. What you will want to do at this point, is reward a good choice on your dog’s part. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 80,312 times. The Dog Looks at You. Use a pleasant tone. Repeat until they poop. Always praise your dog for coming to you. There are many ways to work on getting more attention from your dog. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Getting your dog to focus is easily taught and should be the first behaviour you teach her. You have to develop and maintain a consistent schedule, because if you don't enforce it every day, she could revert back to her old ways. He may jump or bark to get you to start playing. Use something to help block your dog’s view of the other dogs (put you in an adjacent room, use a sheet-covered ring gate, etc.). Whether it’s as simple as a “sit” or as complicated as weaving through poles, our attention is stuck on, “Is my dog doing what I want?”, If he isn’t obeying, you may move on to the next method, or just stop trying altogether, thinking, “This dog just can’t be trained!”. By taking the extra time to teach your dog the cue in a low distraction environment and by spending quality time with your dog, you will highly increase your success for a cooperative dog when the distractions come around. End your training exercises while your dog is still interested in what you’re teaching him. Learning will take place. Own the eyes and you own the dog. When the dog is a few steps away, raise the treat up a bit while telling the dog … Stay patient and wait while he does this. Reward your dog with lots of treats for calm, brave behavior as you get closer and closer to the other dog. Quiet place without distractions for your training sessions short, say 10 minutes to our policy. 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