Super Easy Ways to Get Your Dog's Attention | Dog Training

Teaching your dog to look at you, is a great fundamental behavior. If your dog is looking at you and paying attention to you they are less likely to pull on the leash, bark at people or dogs, or sniff and eat things off the ground. 

When you improve and consistently reinforce your dog’s training, you’ll never have to worry about working hard to get your dog’s attention.

How to Get Your Dog's Attention 

Here are some of the effective methods to get your dog's attention:

1. The Name Recall Method

If your dog is not responding to his given name, then you should try this method as it's found very effective to do so:

Step 1 - Say your dog's name when you are 2-6 feet away from them. When they turn their head, appreciate them with "Yes" (or any word that you're comfortable with) and reward them.

Step 2 - Your dog is not required to 'come, "sit,' or perform any other command. When they turn their head and look at you, they are rewarded. If your dog moves towards you to get the treat, that's a plus, but you can even throw treats at them if necessary.

Step 3 - Continue to increase the distance between you and your dog until they can see you from 40-50 feet away when they hear their name.

Step 4 - Remember that saying their name is for seeking their attention, and after they look at you, give them the next command, like 'come,"sit,' or 'down.'

2. Using Mindful Games

Mindful games that involve using your dog's intellectual ability, are another excellent way to increase your dog's attention and focus ability.

Many of the games inside the "Brain Training for Dogs Course" are designed to improve your dog’s attentiveness. One of a game is “The Airplane Game". 

In this simple game, your dog learns some of the most important skills like:

• How to pay attention to you on command.
• How to maintain focus on you despite distractions – unlocking the pathway to super obedience.
• How to use his hidden intelligence to figure out puzzles.

3. The 'Whistle' or Smacking Sound Method

Getting your dog's attention with a smacking sound is not a new technique; it has been used for many years and is still a very efficient way to grab your dog's attention.

To do this, make a smacking sound as if kissing the air in a quiet environment, then immediately give your dog a treat. It doesn't matter what he's doing when you give him the treat (as long as he's not doing anything unpleasant like tearing up the sofa), the objective is just to show him that he receives rewards every time he hears the sound.

You should notice that every time you make the sound, your dog looks at you for his treat after a while. With consistent practice, you will be able to use the smacking sound to get your dog's attention in everyday circumstances!

However, keep in mind that the smacking sound or whistle may be less effective if your dog is excessively enthusiastic. For example, if he has seen something outside that has triggered an aggressive reaction in him, your sound may be ignored.

The "Look at That" game from in this Brain Training for Dogs course is one solution for this. It focuses on teaching your dog to pay attention to the smacking sound despite strong distractions in "Look at That."

Note: Make sure to choose the sound that's loud enough to be heard in busier environments, and that it is a sound you can make yourself.