Do you ever find yourself trying desperately to get your dog to look at you? Does the words "in one ear and out the other" sound familiar? Or is it easy for your dog to listen to you until he sees the dreaded mail carrier? Whatever the case may be, it is critical for us as owners to be able to grab and maintain our dog's attention. Consider the repercussions if our dog ran into a busy street and was unable to hear us calling him back!
 |
| This dog pic has nothing to do with the topic. lol ;) |
In this piece, I'll go through five simple techniques you can use right away to make your dog become more attentive.
How to Get Your Dog to Look at You
1. Brain Training
Brain training is a super-effective way to increase your dog’s attention abilities and listen to you!
Many of the games in this Brain Training for Dogs course are designed to improve your dog’s attentiveness. One of my favorites 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.
2. A 'Whistle' or 'Smacking' to get their attention
Wouldn't it be amazing if we could make a sound at any time to get our dog to pay attention to us? Fortunately for us, there is, and it's known as the "smacking sound"! But, before we can harness its power, we must first teach our dog that this specific sound equals food.
To achieve this, in a calm room, make a smacking sound as if kissing the air, then instantly 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 point is just to demonstrate to him that every time he hears the sound, he gets treats.
After a while, you should notice that whenever you make the sound, your dog looks at you for his treat. With constant practice, you will be able to use the slapping sound in everyday situations to get your dog's attention!
Keep in mind, however, that the smacking sound or whistle may be less helpful when your dog is overly excited. For example, if he has seen something outdoors to which he has an aggressive reaction, your sound may go 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.
3. The Importance of Treats
How would you feel if you had to work without being paid? And that is how our dogs may feel when we ask them to complete activities and tasks without rewarding them for their efforts! That is why dog training rewards are so vital.
There are many various types of rewards, but the most common are food treats. When a dog successfully completes a specific action, he receives one of these treats.
Assume we've just begun teaching our dog to "sit" for the first time. When he successfully sits, we would reward him with a doggy biscuit or a piece of kibble. Now, the next time we ask him to sit, he will be happy to do so since he knows he will be rewarded!
Want to see other different ways you can get your dog to listen to you and perform certain tasks?, then Brain Training for Dogs course is for you.
4. Reward Occasional Outings
How often does your dog pay attention to you when you're out in the yard with him? Most likely not much, as he's far too busy with exploring the outdoors with his keen sniffer. Maybe it's time for a change...
Make it a practice to bring along some high-value snacks when you're out in the yard (e.g. plain cooked chicken slices). Keep these snacks in a pocket or treat bag for easy access. Now, whenever your dog comes within an arm's length of you, praise him and extend your hand to offer him a treat.
If you do this frequently enough, positive reinforcement will begin to work its magic, and you'll see your dog checking in with you more and more. This is fantastic news since it signifies he is realizing you are deserving of his attention!
5. Right Place, Right Time
Choosing the correct place and time to start training sessions can have a huge impact on whether or not your dog can pay attention.
It's best to avoid training your dog when you first get home from work and he's all eager and excited to welcome you, or after supper when he's all amped up and bouncing off the walls. Instead, wait till your dog is calmer and more capable of attention, and then take advantage of these periods.
You should also avoid training a new behavior in an environment with a lot of distracting sights, sounds, and smells (for example, the yard), as this makes it difficult for your dog to focus on you. Instead, start by training in a quiet place. If your dog is easily distracted by what he sees outside, it's also a good idea to avoid rooms with windows.