Teaching your puppy its name is an important part of training, and it’s something that you can do with a little patience, persistence, and consistency. Even though dogs are naturally curious creatures who love to learn new things, it may take time for them to respond positively to their names. If your puppy doesn’t seem interested in learning its name early on or if you’re having trouble getting the message across during training sessions (as opposed to correction), there are ways around this issue which we will cover in this article.
How to Teach your Puppy Its Name In 4 Easy Steps
If you repeat and make use of your puppy’s name frequently enough, it will eventually learn it on its own without much assistance from you; making it easy to teach your puppy its name. You will be able to train your puppy to stop whatever it is doing and pay attention to you in virtually any circumstance if you follow the procedures that are outlined below.
Step 1: Get Your Dog’s Attention
Be sure to start the training session when there are no distractions around. Ultimately, it should just be you are your puppy. This works best when you are home alone and have some time set aside to focus just on training.
Additionally, do not start the training session if your dog is tired or sleepy, as you will likely become frustrated with your dog’s lack of attention span. Once you are free of distractions and your dog is in a good mood, begin by saying your puppy’s name in a warm and happy voice. Your dog will likely not pay much attention at your first attempt but don’t worry; he’s learning!
After a slight pause, say your dog’s name again in the same warm and excited voice but make an additional sound after saying its name such as a slight clap or a kissing noise. This will get your dog’s attention and cause them to come over to you.
Step 2: Immediately Reward Desired Behavior During Training
As soon as your puppy responds to its name being called, immediately reward your dog with a treat or a click if you are using clicker training. You may want to consider investing in a treat pouch to make it easier when training your new puppy. Be sure to also give the dog lots of praise to show the dog that you are pleased with its behavior.
After rewarding your dog, allow its attention to fade away from you. Once your dog is no longer giving you attention, repeat its name again in the same warm tone of voice. If the puppy responds to its name being called, reward it immediately and offer lots of praise. If the puppy does not respond, repeat step one again.
Step 3: Repetition is Key
Once your little puppy has successfully completed step one and step two, go back to the beginning and repeat both steps a maximum of 8 to 10 times more times. However, do not go over 10, as you will lose your puppy’s interest, and the training will no longer be effective. Once you have practiced the training 10 times, you should end the training session and repeat it again within a couple of hours. Repeat this process for a few days until your dog is comfortable with its name and is responding to training.
Step 4: Change the Location and Increase the Level of Distraction
Once your puppy is comfortable and able to respond to its name in a distraction-free environment, it is time to change up the location for future training. You can begin by moving to a different room to practice or out into your yard, where there will be more distractions to teach your puppy its name.
Now that your dog has mastered having its name called with limited distractions, begin by increasing the amount of time you want your canine companion to hold its attention on you before giving it a reward. The key is to get this time to at least 5 seconds before adding in lots of distractions.
If your puppy can successfully give you 5 seconds of its attention, it’s time to add some more difficult distractions. You can do this by having another person or child enter the room or giving the dog a toy. When your puppy becomes distracted by the person or toy, call its name. When your puppy turns away from the distraction and gives you its undivided attention, reward him with a food treat immediately. If your dog does not respond to its name being called, gently move them toward you and call its name again. If they give you their attention, reward them with a tasty treat.
Once your dog has mastered giving you its undivided attention when being called, you can take him to a dog park to introduce more distractions and a new situation.
Many Dogs Get Confused About What Their Name Means
If you want your dog to remember its name, it’s important that you teach it what a word means. Dogs learn through association, so as long as you can associate words with actions and emotions for your pup, he will be able to recognize them later on when he sees those actions or states of mind in other contexts. This will assist in you being able to teach your puppy its name.
For example, if I say “walk,” my dog thinks of me taking him for a stroll around the yard at home—not because he understands English (although there’s some evidence that dogs do understand human speech), but because his brain associates the word “walk” with being taken outdoors for exercise by his owner (or anyone else who takes him out).
Wait Until Your Dog Is Calm Before Starting a Training Session
Before you begin a training session, your puppy should be relaxed and quiet. The best time to start is when the pup is in an “off” state of mind—when it’s not jumping up or pulling on the leash, barking at people who walk by, and generally being rambunctious. This will ensure the training is successful and the puppy does not think you are playing a game.
Use an Excited and Happy Tone of Voice When You’re Teaching Your Puppy Its Name
The tone of your voice is a big part of how your puppy will learn its name. You want to use an excited and happy tone every time you call it so that it knows that this is fun and worth doing.
Reward Your Dog Every Time It Responds to Its Name With a Food Treat or Toy
Reward your puppy every time it responds to its name with a food treat or toy. Make sure that it’s something the puppy likes, and give it immediately after it responds. It is important for you to reward your pup every time they respond correctly so that they learn quickly and understand what “yes” means.
Avoid Using Your Dog’s Name When Correcting Unwanted Behavior
When you’re training your puppy, it’s important to avoid using its name in correcting unwanted behavior.
If you want to stop your dog from jumping on the couch or chewing on your favorite shoes, try saying “No!” instead of “Snoopy.” If he jumps up at you again, say “No!” again in a firm tone and give him another command, Sit or Down—and then reward him with verbal praise when he sits down as requested (or whatever other behavior he did). This will help reinforce positive behaviors while teaching him not to repeat unwanted ones.
If your pup is chewing on something inappropriate (like household items), use a command that requires more effort from him than just calling out his name would require—like “Drop It!” or “Leave It!”—and reward good behavior by giving him treats right away after each correction until there are no more unwanted behaviors taking place
Be Patient and Keep Training Sessions Short
Don’t expect too much from your puppy.
It’s normal for dogs to take longer than humans to learn new skills, and it’s even more common for puppies not to respond immediately when you ask them questions or give commands. This is because their brains are still developing, so they don’t understand what you’re saying as well as an adult dog would understand it. It may also be because they haven’t learned how to read human body language yet; if your puppy wasn’t interested in sitting up when you asked him/her before (or after) obedience training began, don’t get frustrated! Just try again later—you can always come back another day if all else fails!
Also, remember that every dog learns at its own pace: one session won’t necessarily teach everything there is about dog names; each pup will have different levels of interest and willingness at different points during training sessions—it’s just part of being a pet owner!
Now that you know how to teach your puppy its name, it’s time to start training! Next up is the dreaded task of potty training. Good luck!