How to build your dog’s attention span?
So, you got home the new puppy and are thinking about training the puppy with all the basic commands to start with. Assuming you are taking care of the potty training and getting the puppy acclimatized to the new environment, the next most important thing on the cards should be systematically improving your puppy’s attention span.
Read on to explore top 3 tips from the experts to improve your puppy’s attention span.
Without a good attention span, no matter how much reward or positive reinforcement you provide, the results are going to be less than optimal.
1. Associate your dog’s name only with positive things
Starting off with the tip right way – when you are correcting your dog for a mistake or an unwanted behavior like biting too hard while playing, etc. don’t use the dog’s name. using the dog’s name while correcting a behavior will inadvertently lead to negative reinforcement and our furry friends don’t really like that. They are just wired that way.
The problem with using the name during corrections is the dogs will struggle to positively relate to praise or treats when you offer them during training as a reward. Using the name for corrections just confuses the dog. Subsequently, this confusion will lead to dog’s pulling away from training, not being interested or not being able to pay attention. It is a common tendency to struggle with dog’s attention span or lack of interest in training, but you know it all comes from us.
So, how do you get the positive affirmation going with the dog’s name and make it understand? Use treats – treats are best if they are not kibbles from their normal diet; this is important especially when you are starting out with your new puppy. Sit quietly away from the puppy and call its name. Watch the tone to be happy, calm, positive and upbeat. As the puppy comes to you, praise and reward.
Repeat this name association several times during a day for a week. Don’t overdo it – when the dog becomes visibly bored of the exercise, stop it, because you don’t want to instill a behavior that it is okay not to come when the name is called.
2. Train for “watch me”
Once the dog has learned its name, you are ready to move on to helping them learn “watch me”.
Sit with a treat and hold the treat close to your face, and call the puppy by its name and say “Cipher, watch me”. When the dog looks at you, reward it with ample praise. Do this a few times more immediately to solidify the learning. After the first time, you can drop the name and just saw “watch me”. As the puppy looks at you, give the puppy the reward with ample praise.
You might want to practice this slowly in new environments like while taking them to potty or when they are playing. Over a period of 2 weeks, your puppy would have perfectly understood the “watch me” command. This “watch me” command is the mother of all commands as it sets a solid foundation of sorts for all the other commands you will start to train your dog with.
3. Help learn to deal with distractions
As the puppies ease into their environments, reinforcing “watch me” becomes super important so they can retain the learning as a growing adult who will explore more complex environments.
Try starting with “watch me” in more familiar environments without changing too much. For example, you can have another member of the family try “watch me” or when a member of the family plays with the puppy, issue the “watch me” command and see how the puppy responds. If the puppy appears uninterested or confused, it is time to have more practice with you one on one. Repeat these exercises with small distractions at home first and then gradually you can try outdoors.
As you amplify the distractions in the environments, make sure to only gradually change them – a rule of thumb is one variation at a time. Start small with smaller distractions like when the puppy is playing or going out on a small walk withing the residential premises etc. It is important to build the puppy’s confidence and create the conditions for it to win 9 out of 10 times. You are the cheerleader for your puppy and it is your job to make it win.
As the puppy consistently performs to the “watch me” command, find every opportunity to praise the puppy. For example, whenever a puppy looks at you with a look that it wants to communicate you for what it should do or wanting to go potty, praise the puppy and hand out a treat. Any good behavior your puppy demonstrates, offer ample praise with the name and hand a reward. These positive reinforcements will lay a strong foundation for your puppy to grow into a confident, loveable, and an affectionate dog.
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