For example, if you are trying to teach your dog to walk to heel past other dogs, and he is leaping all over the place like a lunatic, he is not being disobedient. He is simply too aroused to respond to your cues at this point. Have you seen those agility trials where those dogs are constantly focused on their handler? I used to watch those shows and wonder in the world they were able to get that sort of focus from their dogs. This may seem very ‘fake’ and ‘cheaty’ but it is what you have to do. Three things to consider when you start dog distraction training

But if another dog is available for a game, or if there is a ball to chase, the dog just ignores the commands his owner gives him, and leaves his poor human standing like a lemon in the middle of the park, whilst he runs off to play. After awhile it becomes so natural that you might not even have to ask your dog for certain behaviors – he’ll start doing them on his own. Don’t forget to keep up with the praise and consistency. I chose to have her go to her special place while I made dinner, and in my case it’s a chair placed at the bar in the dining room. She still gets to see everything from her spot. But now I don’t have to worry about stumbling over her, nor do I end up with nearly as much dog hair in my food. She sits in that chair automatically when I’m in the kitchen without me saying a word. And yes, the command I we use is simply “go to your chair.” You need to deliberately set up situations where you can ensure that your dog responds to your cues, in the presence of the distractions that you want him to ignore. Fake it till you make it

Dogs Need to Learn Impulse Control

That way, your dog chooses to pay attention to you instead of any distractions because you are more relevant than any distractions present! Our dogs look to us for cues all the time; don’t leave them guessing. When your dog gives you a nice calm behavior remember to reward him for it. Impulse Control Makes Training Easier When training your dog to respond reliably to your cues despite distractions, start small. If you have taught your SDIT (service dog in training) to sit in your living room, chances are slim that he will be successful if your next practice session takes place at midday Saturday at a local farmers’ market! Introduce new distractions gradually.

For this reason, you need to keep a close eye on your dog and notice what they find distracting so that you can tailor an appropriate training plan for them. You cannot expect a dog that, for example, is afraid of other dogs to follow commands in a park full of other animals immediately.Using what your dog wants to your advantage begins teaching your dog that giving you their attention gets them what they want. 4. Don’t Show Your Dog You Have Rewards Games like “find it,” structured tug and fetch can help to fulfill your dog’s desire to work and move. Playing one of these games prior to a walk can help alleviate some of your dog’s excess tension and energy and make her more likely to listen to your commands when you’re on your walk.