"Focus"
It came to my attention, just the other day, how important it is to keep your dog’s focus on you while walking. Sounds simple, right? Well it can be if you remember to follow a few steps. I learned this from a dog trainer in Maryland who worked for the local animal shelter. She said it is especially effective with dogs that are food-motivated, so….I think that gets all of them!! Before you leave your house, put a few treats in your pocket. If your dog is like mine, he will know right away that you have the goodies. Why? Because he knows where the treats are and just getting close to that source will make him salivate. If he doesn’t notice, you can always pass one right under his nose and he will get the picture loud and clear. Begin your walk and praise your dog as he is quietly walking beside you. Depending on your dog and how quickly he loses interest in your presence, walk a few paces then call your dog’s name. If he is close to you and turns to give you his undivided attention, give him a treat. If he is at a distance, as soon as he makes eye contact show him the treat and wait for him to come closer then give him the treat. When this pattern is repeated over and over your dog will soon learn that you are a source of unending goodness as long as he is paying attention to you. Keep in mind that over time it is best to give the treat intermittently for it to retain it’s allure. If your dog thinks he just has to look at you to get a treat, you will run out of money before your dog runs out of attention! In Behavior Modification, the inconsistent reward has a stronger and longer lasting result than a consistent reward. That works to our favor in regards to dog training. Many people will pair the action with a command, usually “focus” or you could use “look at me” . I have a black terrier that I see regularly and he has a penchant for barking at anything that moves while we are walking. Sometimes he gets really carried away and will start lunging at the object. This could be a car, a person or another dog. It’s a bit disruptive to the walk and a bad behavior for your dog to learn. This happened on our walk and I was reminded about the “focus” command. It works like a charm and will have your dog watching you like a hawk whenever you go for a walk.
