Getting Your Dog To Listen and Pay Attention.

Sure a dog comes when called when it's in his interest. That's only natural! If you're calling him to go for a walk, or get dinner or a treat – of course he'll be all ears. If he's busy baying up a tree at a squirrel or you're trying to get him to mind you on a leash when he's interested in the dog across the street – you're a murmur in the background. Of course – you are simply not as interesting as the squirrel or the neighbor's dog!

Having a deferential and attentive dog is really part of your total relationship with him – there is no one training exercise or rule. However, there are plenty of daily interactions you can use to build a better bond. The more your dog listens to you and looks to you for guidance, the more trust he has in you, and the calmer he will become.

Be honest.

Do not ask your dog to do something that you cannot enforce. Say he is running after a squirrel and ignoring you. Don't keep yelling “come HERE” over and over again – he's tuning you out anyway. Follow him and grab his collar, run in the opposite direction and start calling him if he turns and heads towards you – because then he is complying.

Never, ever call a dog to you to punish him!

Don't yell “want a TREAT?” in an effort to get him to come to you. Well OK, if it's an emergency and the only way you can get him, do that. But otherwise don't, unless you have a treat in hand. No fair. Dogs are very honest with us, we should be honest in turn.

If you want Dog to sit, say “sit” and expect him to comply. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Don't say “Sit down” if you mean sit, and not down. Or “off when you mean “down and “down” when you mean off. This is confusing for dogs – they communicate by body language and we often give them such conflicting signals, it's no wonder they get frustrated with us sometimes. Be really consistent.

Dogs do just as they are taught, so be a good teacher! If they're not expected to have manners and pay attention, they won't. They will do what comes naturally and what feels good.

Tone of voice.

Don't entreat, plead, ask or yell. Dogs react to the tone of your voice as well as the words you use. A low, calm voice is usually listened to better than a squeak or screech. No need to yell anyway – most dogs have extremely good (if selective!) hearing.

Expect more!

Don't hand Dog a treat just because he looks cute, or is bouncing up and down in front of the treat cupboard. Expect Dog to sit, or offer a paw, or do something in exchange for the treat. For that matter, expect him to defer to you this way before meals too. No grabbing and pushing to get food! Dogs like to work, they enjoy having mastery over their own behaviors. It doesn't have to be just “sit” - he can do any tricks you ask. In fact, once he figures out the routine, he will start offering the behavior. Will work for food!

You may read advice about not letting the dog go out the door ahead of you because this is some sort of “dominance” thing. I say baloney, it's probably an eagerness thing! However, having the dog sit or stand calmly while you attach a leash and proceed nicely out the door is good. Letting Dog hurl himself through your front door without paying attention to where you are – not good.

If Dog constantly nudges your hand or jumps on you, demanding attention – ignore that. Instead – call him to you and give him all the hugs, belly rubs and ear scratches you want. Call him to you for dinner, for that matter. You want him to be secure in the knowledge that all good things come from you. This makes YOU more interesting.

Attention games.

The “watch me” command can be very helpful. The aim is to have full eye contact from your dog, no matter what is going on around him. Start with a handful of tiny, soft treats. Hold them near your face. Say “watch me.” He will probably be staring at your hand. Repeat “watch me” - at some point, annoyed that you're not handing out goodies, he will look you in the eye. Quick! Shove a treat in his mouth and tell him he is good.

Pretend you are a Pez dispenser. Only reward for eye contact.

This is something you can do in commercial breaks or whenever. As he gets better at the game, start moving your hands in different positions while saying “watch me.” Add other distractions gradually.

Eventually you will get to the point where a strange dog can be barking it's fool head off ten feet away, you can tell your dog to watch and will have his undivided attention.

(As with any training, use treats often at first, then as Dog “gets it”, use them intermittently. After a while you won't need rewards – the action itself becomes the reward.)

Do you ever hike offleash with your dog? If so, keep his attention on you by hiding behind a tree or something when he's not looking. Dogs become a bit concerned when suddenly their human has disappeared! When he finds you, give him a great big hug and tell him he is fabulous.

If offleash, occasionally call your dog to you, give him a big hug for coming, then give him permission to run off again. Don't only call him when you're about to put his leash on otherwise he'll associate coming to you with the end of his freedom.

Whether onleash or off, keeping some treats or a favorite toy in your pocket is a good idea. Randomly call your dog to you, at times when you know he'll come. Reward, praise, big hug, then let him go back to whatever he was doing.

Who is walking who?

I met this couple who had a lovely, smart and very disobedient little dog. No fault of his own! He was overindulged and coddled and never trained to do a darn thing. He would disappear if off leash and only come back when he felt like it – he had no respect at all for his humans.

They didn't have a fenced yard, so the dog got walked several times a day. Here's how he got walked: He was put on a Flexi-leash and allowed to blast out of the front door, the plaintive cries of his human completely ignored. Then he set the pace – whichever direction he decided to go, the human followed. He stopped when he wanted to stop, sped up, went in circles, zigged and zagged, the human on the end of the leash a mere nuisance. He wasn't required to listen, pay attention to curbs or others' lawns. He was neither corrected for naughty behavior or praised for desired behavior.

So, no wonder he didn't come when called, or listened at all. He was never expected to!

I think dogs really do need time and space to amble and sniff at their own pace. But it can be structured.

The point of incorporating these tips into your relationship with your dog is a better behaved, more secure pet. He will trust you and look to you for appropriate behavior, and will HAPPILY and willingly pay attention to you.

~Carina MacDonald