Keeping the attention of your dog during training is not always an easy task. Dogs are very easily distracted, and it is important to not allow the dog training sessions to be sabotaged by boredom. Making dog training fun for the dog and the human alike is vital to making a happy, well-adjusted and well-trained dog.

You should provide random positive stimuli during the day in order to maintain the interest of your dog. Doing things the dog like, like walking in the park, riding in the car, and playing with other dogs, are great methods to keep the dog’s attention, but you must give him rewards for his successes.

For example, to reward the dog for coming to you when you call him, tell your dog to come to you, without giving any clues about going for a walk, a car ride, or other treats.

After your dog has come over to you and obediently sat down, attach the lead and start the treat. This can be either the before-mentioned stroll in the park, ride in the car, or anything else the dog likes to do.

Providing some kind of reward, whether a treat, a special outing, or just a tickle behind the ears, every time the dog does something you want him to, is a great way to maintain your dog’s motivation while you are dog training.

If your dog knows something good is going to happen every time he obeys your command, he will be motivated to please you every time.

Distraction training.

When training a dog, it is important to not let distractions spoil the training. The dog must be taught to ignore distractions, such as other people, other dogs, other animals and loud noises, and focus on what is being taught These kinds of distractions can also be used as rewards when training the dog to come when called.

For instance, if your dog enjoys playing with other dogs, whether in a local dog park or with the neighbour’s dogs, let him play freely with those other dogs. Then go into the park or yard and call your dog.

When he comes to you, give him lots of praise, treats and other rewards, then immediately let the dog to return to playing with his pals. Repeat this a few times and praise the dog every time he comes to you.

Your dog will soon realize that coming to your call results in good things (treats and praise) and not bad ones (being removed from the park).

This so-called distraction training is one of the most difficult things for your dog to learn, because dogs are naturally social animals, and breaking away from the pack is one of the most difficult things you can ask your dog to do. Most dogs will be understandably unwilling to leave their canine companions, but it is important to persist in dog training.

Training the dog to come to you when you call can require some creativity on your behalf at first. For example, waving one of his favourite toys, or a lure, is a good way to get your dog’s attention and put the focus back on you. If your dog has been clicker trained, a quick click can be a good motivator as well in dog training.

Once the dog begins to get the hang of coming when called, you can begin to reduce and eliminate the visual cues and focus on getting the dog to obey your voice alone. It is vital that the dog obeys voice commands alone, since you will not always have the availability of a toy or other lure.

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