How many names does your dog have? No, it’s not a daft question. Gus is frequently called any of the following: “Gus”, “Gussie”, “Puppykins”, and “Bat-eared Boy” (Gareth calls him that one). I bet you have several names you use for your dog, too.
I have a lovely wee book called “One Dog and His Man”, a very funny book written as if by a sheepdog about his life on an Irish farm an doing sheepdog trials. On the first page he states proudly, “I knew all me commands – come in, get out, lie down damn you, g’way outa that and git on home ye devil.”
Unfortunately he’s not unusual. There are quite a few dogs about that don’t really understand their names, or any other cue we give them. So today’s training tip is all about teaching your dog that when he hears his name, great things happen. This is the most important thing to teach your dog if you want to teach a good recall.
The name game is a simple but very effective game. Play it using her dinnertime food. Here’s how to play:
– Throw one piece of food on the ground near you and allow your pooch to go and eat it
– As she finishes eating, call her name, praise well, then feed her 2-3 bits of food from your hand
– Then throw another piece of food a short distance away and repeat the game until the food is gone.
If you’re joining in this month’s training challenge, please let us know how you’re getting on.
Keep training
Carol
PS If you want our help with training your pooch, check out the website for all our different training options.