How To Get Your Dog To Listen To You
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When your dog does not listen to you, it is not only annoying, but it can be dangerous. Just think about it, maybe your dog decided to try and eat something he shouldn’t, or chases something into the neighbor’s yard, or street…
It’s scary to think about, but these accidents happen all the time. In this article, our goal is to get you to be able to say commands and have your dog stop on a dime and follow them.
If this sounds too good to be true, don’t worry. It is more than possible and we’re going to get you and your dog to that stage. It might not happen overnight, but with patience and reputation, you can do this.
The Importance Of Exercise
Before we get to the good stuff, it is important to remember that our dog, especially if they’re a puppy needs plenty of exercise.
When they have too much built-up energy, many dogs resort to problem behaviors.
You need to give your dog daily exercise that is appropriate for his age, especially before training. A general guideline is to exercise for at least 40 minutes a day but we like to recommend 1-2 hours minimum (the more the better, especially if you have a dog breed that is considered an active dog.
When your dog has had some exercise, you will notice it will be much easier for you to train them, and get them to focus on you and your commands.
With that being said let’s break down the steps to getting your dog to listen to you:
- Getting Your Dog’s Attention with a command
- Control your energy
- Use Treats When Training
- Using a long leash to help guide
- Stay consistent and stay patient
Getting Your Dog’s Attention with a Command
Using a command or a special sound (like whistling) is the first step to getting your dog to listen to you. The goal here is, whenever your dog here this command or sound, they know a command will be coming.
Some examples you can use are: wait, focussing, snapping your fingers, and whistling. This behavior should teach your dog to look you in the eyes when you do one of these, which is what we want. They are ready to listen when they are focused on you. Period.
Another important note is that you should NEVER use your dog’s name here. It’s important to remember when your puppy or dog hears his name it should always be in a positive manner. Not for training purposes, and of course not to be used negatively.
Although teaching a puppy or dog to understand this command can take patience and persistence, it can be done. If you need more help with dog training, you can click here to see more.
How To Get Your Dogs Attention With A Command
Step 1: To get your dog’s attention, use a tasty treat or some other form of gadget (like a ball or toy). If you’re using treats, give them one or two to get their attention.
Step 2: Hold the treat up to your face, either close to your nose or in the area directly between your eyes. Give a verbal “yes” or “good” and give your dog the treat the moment he or she makes eye contact (even if it’s just with the treat).
Also: make sure to give the treat to your dog by your waist as it will teach and show your dog that they should look at you in the eye area, but the reward will not be coming from there (so no jumping will occur).
Step 3: Repeat, repeat, repeat. As your dog starts to understand this action, start introducing your command word. Do this by raisin the treat towards your eyes and as soon as your dog looks at you, say “focus,” (or whatever word you choose/whistle) followed by “good.” After that, give the reward.
Step 4: Say the command and give a proud “good” if the action is completed successfully by your dog or puppy. Take a step back and repeat steps 2-4 if your dog hasn’t mastered the cue word yet.
Bonus: Incorporate hand signals as well as commands.
It’s best to start with these exercise in a dull boring area, so your dog wont get distracted. And any exercise prior is always recommend. Stay close to your dog, as this will help get their attention. Always start small and progress to more challenging situations.
Control Your Energy
If you know anything about Cesar Millan, you’ll know he is a big advocate of mastering your energy around your dog. I could not agree more. Your dog will strive and work off your energy.
Dogs follow their pack leaders, and the only way to be that leader is to project a calm-assured energy.
Your dog will disregard your commands if you are agitated or uncertain as you give them a command.
You need to be confident.
Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t really realize how much energy they are releasing. Ask a friend to watch your actions and provide feedback, or even take video so you can see it for yourself.
You will be amazed. You will be able to see your body energy, your posture, your tone of voice. You may realize all of these are negative and this of course is not recommend. You want to keep positive, uplifting and that pack leader energy.
Use Treats When Training
In teaching your dog to listen, especially in the early stages of training, you need to entice your pup with a very tasty treat. Your treat needs to be the center of attention!
And before you pick a treat for them, let me ask you this, would a piece of bacon or carrot be more exciting for your dog. Of course, 99% of dogs out there want that bacon! Now bacon might not be the best to use because it is not healthy, but here and there wont hurt your dog, but there are much healthier human food alternatives!
Whenever you’re working on training, and again, especially in the early stage of learning new behaviors/skills, you need to use a tasty treat.
It’s recommended to not only find a tasty treat your pup will love but also one that is healthy and low-calorie.
A low calorie treat is important here because, during training you will be giving your dog tons of these!
Some examples you could use include Buddy Biscuits Training Bites. It is low calorie, taste’s great and is pretty healthy!
Want your dog to pay attention? Check out some of these treats here!
Using a long leash to help guide
Sometimes it may seem like nothing is working.
And that’s where leashes and long leads turn into your best friend. You have much more control over the situation and your dog’s attention if they are attached to you by a leash!
Keep your dog leashed whenever you begin your basic training. It makes getting them to focus on you again a 100X times easier.
A long lead (typically 20+ feet long) will completely change the game when teaching come and other commands.
Follow the same procedure that was successful when you were five feet away. But here’s where everything changes, let’s say you being to call your dog (from 20 feet away) and there attention goes to the neighbor, or car passing, or the squirrel across the street.
They’ll probably start focusing on that other thing, and they might even try to chase it.
However, it’s very simple to give them a slight adjustment or fix thanks to the lead.
Of course, I’m not saying to yank or drag your dog in the direction you want, but a little correction. You want to use it as a tool to get your dog’s attention back to you.
You can get my favorite super long leash here (It’s the one Jack is using in the picture above!)
Stay consistent and stay patient
Some dogs may pick this up in a week, others may take a month, and others may take months. That’s okay. Stay patient and stay consistent. Remember to follow all these steps and your dog will quickly understand what you want from them.
Your dog won’t want to participate in your training sessions if it senses that you’re unhappy or don’t want to be there. You must be patient day after day until your pet responds or remembers the command because it can take some dogs thousands of repetitions to learn some commands.
Your dog also won’t understand what you want from him if he is getting mixed messages about what is appropriate behavior from you.
If you have multiple people who are in your house, sit down with everyone and go over the rules, so you’re dog will have a clear understanding of their rules.
It may be beneficial to put them in writing and display them in a visible location.
Stop Relying Only On Verbal Commands
Dogs don’t speak; instead, they express themselves through energy and body language.
It is understandable that they occasionally find it difficult to understand our verbal instructions, especially given that they are subjected to our constant talking throughout the day.
Even if they understand the command, they might associate it more with a nonverbal command you give at the same time. You might not even be aware of this.
Consider what might have changed about your physical presence if your dog all of a sudden doesn’t pick up on your commands. Are you holding a new toy? Are you sitting? Laying? These simple things maybe hurt your ability to fully rely on your message as you normally would.
Pay Attention to your dog’s moods
You may need to give your dog some time to adjust to the situation if it is experiencing anxiety due to some kind of change. For example, an addition of a new family pet might take some time for your dog to get adjusted.
Take a look around your surroundings. Is it raining? Are there fireworks going off? Are they afraid of these, or afraid in general of something? All of these things can also play a role in how your dog reacts to your commands
Before you can get your dog to truly listen to you, you must be aware and address the main issue that might be affecting them.
To help your dog feel better, you can try giving them more treats or taking them on extra walks. Another way to make things better is to give them lots of attention.
If you still experience issues, think about talking to a specialist.
Why Doesn’t My Dog Listen to Me? – Other Reason
Your dog can’t hear you
Many dog breeds are susceptible to deafness as they age, but deafness can happen at any stage of life. It may be time to have your dog’s hearing examined by a doctor if, your dog stops turning their head when you call it or if they are sleeping through loud noises.
Your dog is having some trouble
When your dog doesn’t listen, it’s regularly because it’s stressed out by something else. Take a look around and see what may be causing this. Figuring it out will and addressing it will improve your dog’s quality of life and help them resume obeying commands.
Recap & Overview of How to Get Your Dog to Listen to You
It can be challenging to teach your dog to pay attention and listen to you. It may require several months of consistent training. Start out slow and celebrate the small victories. Your dog must first learn the basics before they master every command you throw at them.
It is crucial to use a tasty treat whenever you are training your dog! They will adore every single training session, making them more focused, and interested to work.
