Teach a Dog to Come When Called

The name game teaches a dog to focus on you when you say their name, so that they can get the next bit of information from the human. It is important to never use the dog's name as a correction, punishment or in an angry tone.

How to make it happen:

1. Say your dog's name one time then give them a treat. They don't have to look at you at this point, but they will probably look at you if you're in a quiet setting. Do several pairings of Name > Treat. Start to say it when they are not looking, then follow up with a treat.

2. Repeat step one in several locations, inside and out.

3. Start to require that your dog actually makes eye contact for their reward. Start with a 5-second 'limited hold,' meaning that if your dog looks at you with-in 5 seconds of you saying their name once, they can have the treat. You can use your reward marker when they do look at you.

If your dog doesn't look in time, just quickly walk away and take your treats with you (unless they are having fun without you, in which case you may need to make the fun stop). If they follow you, say their name without turning around to face them. They should try to come around front to see you. Reinforce that. Another option is to walk away and then just wait for about 20 seconds and try again. Either way, if they fail at the 5-Second Rule several times in a row, you're pushing too quickly. Go back to step one or work in a less distracting environment.

4. Move onto the 3-Second Rule, then 2, then 1. Then the Whiplash Rule- only instant looks get treats.

There are several reasons why the game may fail:

Treats aren't good enough- find what treats or toys truly motivate your dog. Some like kibble while others some like hot dogs.

Not enough practice- Do fifteen name-food pairings each day. Surprise your dog when you can.

Repeating the name- Only say their name once, and then apply whatever rule you were using. Make some kissy noises, pat your leg, say “puppy, puppy, puppy!” if you must, but do NOT repeat their name.