When it comes to training your dog, focus is the most important element. A dog that has not learned to focus on the task at hand will not learn. If the dog is easily distracted the chances are good that you do not have its undivided attention. Therefore the first step in training a dog should be to teach it focus.
A mistake many people make is using the dog’s name to try to get its undivided attention. Unfortunately since the dog hears his name so often, he will give the sound less than his full attention. Using his name when you are unhappy with him also leads to problems.
What you need is a special word or phrase that is only used when you want his perfect attention. This should be a phrase that the dog only associates with good things such as praise and treats. Here are a few other training tips that can help get and maintain the dog’s attention during training.
The best time to begin training is when you haven’t seen the dog for a while. After a few hours alone, the dog will be craving your attention. Use this to your advantage. A good time might be immediately after you get home from work or early in the morning. Go for a brief walk and then dive right into the training session. Be careful not to turn things into play time until the training is wrapped up. The only purpose of the walk is for him to use the bathroom. You want to remove all possible distractions.
Though eventually you will want to limit treats and slowly replace them with praise, in the beginning they are your best training tool. For this reason, it’s best to train the dog on an empty stomach. Use the treats sparingly and make the dog work for them. Don’t give a treat unless the dog has done exactly what you want.
Since you want the dog to focus directly on your face, many trainers actually take the treat in their mouth. This gets the dog used to looking at your face instead of your hands. This is easy to do with dry dog biscuits. If you still don’t like the idea, pretzels also make good rewards. For puppies and smaller dogs, it’s a good idea to take a knee to be closer to their eye level.
The term you use to get the dog’s focus doesn’t matter as long as it is simple, distinct and you use it consistently. Remember, the dog must associate this with fun and rewards. When you want the dog’s attention, simply give the command clearly with a little click of the tongue. Force the dog to maintain attention and then give a reward.
Focus training should always be the first thing you do in a training session. Remember that dogs will quickly get bored and training should be limited in duration. The secret is daily training.