Every dog should know his or her name and respond to the sound of his name by immediately giving his owner attention and eye contact. I don’t think that’s too much to ask, is it? After all, if you wanted a friend’s attention so you could tell him something, you’d say his name and expect him to look to you when you called his name. Anything else would be rude, right? Let’s clear something up first, however. Your dog’s name does not mean Stop Barking, Get Off the Couch, Come Here, or Get Out of the Way. I like to think of it as a kind of pager: Pay Attention, More Information is Coming. That’s all it means.
Dogs do what works for them. The highest motivator will always win out. So if you’re at the park and there are 20 dogs having fun and playing, and your dog is at the bottom of some dog Mosh Pit, how will you get his attention? By teaching your dog that if he looks at you when you call his name, fantastic things will happen!
Training Instructions:
Start in a non-distracting environment like your living room when no one else is around and your dog is not distracted or doing anything in particular. Call your dog’s name in a pleasant, bright voice. If your dog looks at you, say YES! In a happy voice and give him a yummy treat.
If your dog doesn’t look at you, wait a few seconds, then make a kissy sound, clap your hands or slap your thighs. If he looks at you, immediately YES! it and give him a treat. Avoid repeating the name if he doesn’t look right away; if you keep repeating, it will have less relevance for your puppy. Try this game five times in a row, then wait a while (perhaps an hour, or maybe just until some point later in the day) and test your puppy’s response by calling his name when he’s not expecting it. You’ll see that he’s picked up a much quicker response to his name. Soon he will whip his head around and look straight at you whenever he hears his name. That’s it; that’s what you want.
You can get the whole family involved in playing the "Name Game." Have everyone stand in different places in the room and take turns calling your puppy’s name. Whenever he gives eye contact, YES! it and give him a yummy treat.
