When do dogs respond to their name

Set up the environment for your dog to succeed by beginning to train in a calm, quiet environment, with no distractions. Do not ask the dog to sit or do anything else before giving the dog the treat, as the reward is for looking at you when you say their name, not for any other behaviour. You will soon notice your dog starting to offer attention without being prompted; be prepared to reinforce this with a reward to encourage your dog to regularly check in with you.

Remember your job is to assess the training environment and very gradually increase the level of distraction. As you up the distractions, make sure your reinforcement treats or play is increased in value.

If your dog is not responding to their name, go back a step to ensure success before increasing the level of distractions again. Download these tips as a handy advice sheet and use it as a reminder to train regularly:.

Add distractions and move the lessons outside. You can play the name game any time. Consistency is important, so you want to reinforce this behavior many times — first every time and then intermittently — until you get an automatic, solid reaction. Say her name once, and when she responds quickly, give her the treat. Instead, try walking with her away from whatever is distracting and try again, or move to a completely different area with fewer distractions. Introduce the training in more distracting areas only when you get a perfect response consistently.

Mark the behavior immediately. The Basic five commands e-book is a great place to start and will give your dog a strong foundation for future training.

AKC Privacy Policy. Founded in , the not-for-profit AKC is the recognized and trusted expert in breed, health, and training information for all dogs. AKC actively advocates for responsible dog ownership and is dedicated to advancing dog sports. All rights reserved. Throughout your dog's life, you'll have to repeat his name many times.

Give him an easy-to-say, likeable name, rather than a difficult or awkward name that might trigger questions and strange looks. A short, sharp-sounding, two-syllable name, such as Muffin, Sammie or Boomer, is easier for your pet companion to recognize than a one-syllable name.

Ideally, avoid names that have more than three syllables. The age at which you start teaching your dog his name can greatly influence the success of the training. If you have a puppy who's younger than 6 weeks, his hearing and eyesight are limited. For optimal results, wait until he's 12 weeks old, because this is when eyesight and hearing are fully developed. If you have an older dog from a shelter who previously had another name, start teaching him his new name the moment you bring him home.

To properly teach your dog his name, take him to a quiet area of the house that's free of distractions. When he looks at you, say his name and give him a dog treat.