Dogs dont speak English Give it a Name

My name is Not a command.

You can train your dog using the dogs name before a command as in "Joe Come" or even use the dogs name as encouragement after calling him but the dogs name itself should Never be used alone as the command.

Say for instance, you always call your dogs name, "Joe", to get him to come to you. The word "Joe" has now taken on the meaning of the command "Come". Likewise, if you yell the dogs name when hes snooping through the trash can or about to steal your lunch off the kitchen table, the dog learns that his name means 1) hes in trouble or 2) he should get away from something. This can be very confusing for dogs as one command cannot be associated with every action. Dogs become desensitized to their name.

Now imagine how confusing it would for the dog if he learned to come only to his name and now you want him to learn Sit and Stay. As the dog is sitting you must be very careful to not say his name. Even in encouraging ways. "Good boy Joe". To the dog "Joe" means "Come". The dog cannot sit/stay and come at the same time.

The dog needs to learn "Joe" what? "Joe" followed by a command tells the dog what you want him to do. "Joe sit". "Joe come". "Joe out". This way the dog learns each individual command and that his name is to get his attention and get ready to respond.

Give it a name.

Dogs have the ability to learn or recognize hundreds of words. We all use Sit, Down, Come or variations of these and other commands. We do this by associating a word with an action to get across what we want the dog to do. You can do the same with everyday words using consistency, patients and enough practice to build a clear association between the word and the action.

Name it!

"Kennel" as your dog is entering his kennel/crate.
"House" as your dog is on his way into the house.
"Outside" as you open the door for your dog to enter the backyard.
"ByeBye" as you gather the leash for a walk.
"Potty" as the dog is begining to urinate.

The opportunities are endless. Just be sure to use simple commands and use them each time your dog is doing the action you want to name. Use tiny treats to motivate your dog if needed and have fun with word play too. Just because a word means something in English doesnt mean it has to to your dog. It is just as easy to teach a dog to lift his paw and associate the word "Pony" instead of "Paw" as the dog lifts his foot.

Related Posts by Categories