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Paying Attention
Want to teach your dog basics of obedience? Wondering where to start? To teach your dog anything at all; the number one thing you must master is getting his attention. This is the foundation for all future lessons, big or small. Like anyone or any animal, your dog cannot learn anything at all if he is looking away and has his mind on something else. Dogs get distracted very easily so your first dog-training task is to make sure you have a system of getting the dog’s undivided attention.
Before you start, remember that paying attention is a two-way street. You will only hold your pet’s attention if you are paying attention to him, too.
The six-step process
- Start by calling his name and then use key terms “watch”, “look” which will then be associated with this command.
- Paying attention is a gradual process. You can start your training by engaging him for short spans of time, gradually increasing your activities to longer sessions.
- Dog training methods should be adjusted to suit the nature of the particular dog. Make sure the method you are using is effective for your particular animal.
- Dogs have a tendency to get distracted easily, so choose a place that’s peaceful and free from external distractions such as loud noises and traffic for your training sessions.
- Make sure to handle the paying attention process with patience; bear in mind that this can be a somewhat tedious process if the dog is a slow learner.
- You can try different methods to get the dog’s attention – change the tone of your voice and definitely hand out his favorite treat and praise him plenty when he shows progress.
Next up
Once you have mastered this, you can move on to other components of basic training. The first command to start off with is, of course, “sit”. Next, teach him the “down” command. “Stay”, “come” and “stand” will follow.
Do not confuse non-compliance with willfulness. Before pointing your finger at your dog for not picking up these commands, make sure you are communicating your point clearly. Does he really know what you are trying to say? Is he stressed, fearful or confused? Are you being consistent in delivery of your commands?
Most importantly, keep you anger in check! Never train you dog if you are angry. Give yourself and your dog a time-out. You cannot earn your dog’s respect by hitting or yelling at him. Last but not the least, respect your dog’s intelligence and allow him to use his mind.
This lesson is worth spending some time on. If you move on too soon, you will not have much luck with the more complex tasks. But once you do manage to capture his attention, the rest should be a piece of cake.