The Name Game

Since we are on the subject of names, let’s talk a little bit about what your dogs name means to you and to him/her. Think about how often you say your dogs name and for how many reasons you say your dogs name. Sometimes it is a greeting upon entering the house. You say your dogs name to call them to you, to stop them from doing something, to get them to do something and I am sure there are other times. Now let’s think about how many different tones and cadences we use. We can say their name in a high pitched excited voice, we can drag it out, we can sing and we can shout it. Do you find there are times when you say your dogs name and you instantly have their attention (you are probably in the kitchen or have something they want. And there are those times you call your dogs name and they ignore you completely (they are playing with another dog, happily munching on a bone or understand from your tone that you are not happy. Have you ever thought about all this name calling from the dogs point of view? They are hearing a sound that they understand to relate to themselves, but sometimes they hear it before you give them a treat and sometimes they hear it just before you give them a smack. How confusing and frustrating this must be. How is this affecting the relationship you have with your dog?
In my basic obedience classes, I teach all of my students the name game. This is where you say your dogs name and when they look at you, they get a treat. It is that simple. (I recently attended a seminar with a very highly regarded trainer and she too emphasized her version of the name game. This helped reaffirm to me that this is an important exercise). The point of the game is to be able to always get your dogs attention. If they think they are getting a treat, they are very likely to look at you, no matter what they are doing. The second part of this however, is once you have your dogs attention, let them know what you want from them. If your dog is doing something you do not want them to do, simply saying their name may get them to stop, but it was luck and your dog learned nothing from it. You need to say what you want. Luey… stop. Bailey… come. You will only hurt your relationship with your dog if you say their name in a mean voice (because you want them to stop, but fail to say so) and then continue to say their name in a mean voice and then use some type of physical touch to make them stop. From the dogs point of view, you said their name harshly and then did something unpleasant. What a dog takes from that is to fear their name. If you are trying to get your dog to “come” by only saying their name, they are going to tune you out after about the third repetition of their name.
An alternative scenario is giving your dog a command without getting their attention first. If the dog does not perform and you do not consider the fact that maybe they did not hear you, once again, you are going to speak harshly to the dog and physically manipulate them in an unpleasant way and they will not understand why. This does serious damage to your dogs ability to trust and want to be with you. Without this foundation of trust, everything you try to do with your dog will be that much more difficult. So grab some treats and get started on the name game. You gave your dog that name for a reason, you want them to love it. Such a simple and rewarding exercise will make your dogs day and keep that trust in your relationship. You can play this anytime you or your dog needs a little boost. It is an instant connection with your dog.