What’s in a Name???

“Can we teach him to recognize his name?  He’s not coming when I call his name.  How do we teach him that?”  I get these questions from time to time, and I am usually chuckling quietly to myself.

There is something I need to point out – something pretty important having to do with being specific in how you communicate with your dog.  If you are calling your dog’s name and he doesn’t acknowledge it, there is a possibility that your dog does not yet recognize it.  But there’s also a possibility that your dog is thinking “I hear you.  What do you want???”, even though he is not looking at you or running toward you.

My point is, his name is just his name.  An attention-getter with no other specific meaning associated with it.  Dogs do not automatically know what you want, nor are they robots.  They need to be given a clear command and then a chance to give the proper response.

When I am working with clients new to owning a puppy or dog,  I often suggest they start to give commands without using the dog’s name.  That way they and their puppy learn to focus specifically on the command and what it means. Think about your communication skills and try to sharpen them.  Mean what you say and say what you mean without using his name (at first).  This way you will set your dog (and yourself) up for success!

Yours in Good Training,

Stacie & Ronan

PS – I have complete faith that your dog WILL learn his name!