Creating reliable responses from our pets does not take rocket science, sorcery, batteries, or dominance. It does help understanding how a dog learns though, and definitely takes consistency. There is a simple method in training that can drastically increase how reliable a dog responds though and yes, it comes down to consequences!!! Not the scary painful kind, but the kind you can’t get away from.
Before I go on, let me bring you back to childhood for a moment. Remember when your mom used to ask you to go upstairs and clean your room? Maybe she asked a few times in the span of an hour and then out of no where you hear, “JENNIFER MARIE”!!! The critical harsh tone in your name followed by your legal middle name meant business!! If that room wasn’t clean now, things are gonna get bad!! Well the same can happen with your dog..
In my experience, it is beneficial to all involved, dog and human alike, for the pet in the home to have at least three names! In the first category of names for example, you could find fluffy pants, silly lips, wiggle but, mushy-mush-mush, or drooly-one. It doesn’t matter what it is, but it is a name you can use throughout your dogs life to engage in a conversation, remark to, chat with, comment toward etc., but you aren’t necessarily expecting a reciprocal response. The second category of names has the one or two names you use most often to get your dogs attention. Fido, Rover, Jack, Fluffy etc. This name should be used during most training exercises and asks as a suggestive name. So, with time, “Rover Sit” becomes a highly influential suggestion, but it is still just a suggestion… The final category of names is the one name that means urgency, this needs to be done right now, and if you don’t do it right now, I will follow through to make it happen, or you won’t be playing here anymore. “Fido-dog come”
To make this type of training work, follow a few easy tips. Make sure you aren’t using your urgency word in vane. When you train the dog using the urgency name, use extra valuable treats, or pair it with the action or activity that your dog loves the most. Example; you are practicing a recall using little bits of kibble and meat and you are calling with the 2nd category name, randomly during your training, use the 3rd category name, a higher pitched more urgent tone, and then give chicken skin, cheese, or hot dog when the recall is finished instead of the kibble. This extra valued reward will be associated with performing for the urgent name. When you train using the 3rd category name, you will always follow through to make it happen if the dog blows you off, this way, the dog will also learn that not listening isn’t really an option if they want to keep their freedom or continue with the game. The consistency of having a better reward than usual for performing for that name, along with always following through if the dog doesn’t perform creates a mush more reliable response.
