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Name Recognition - Attention Training
By Melanie Kipp
(c) Kipp's Training Services
Canine Training And Behavior Consultations
www.kippsdogs.com
Name recognition means that my dog learns to look at my face when I say his name. You can
also teach this using a specific command (such as "watch") but I prefer to teach the dog that
his name is linked to a specific behavior. I find that most dogs don't truly understand their
names.
This training is done using positive reinforcement and no compulsion (shock or other types
of punishment) of any kind. Teaching attention and name recognition in an organized and
reliable way involves breaking down the behavior into steps and reinforcing (therefore
strengthening) each step before you go on. I'll give it to you in a nutshell, although it is better
spelled out in lengthier publications.
I start by having the dog on leash, and have 3-4 treats in each hand. I sit in a chair, with the
dog sitting or standing in front of me. The leash is merely to keep the dog from wandering
off, so I generally sit on it or put it under my foot. I show the dog that I have treats in my
hands and I place my hands on my knees. The dog begins to nose and lick at my hands.
This is expected and ordinary. The goal here will be to have the dog learn that the only way
to get what he wants (the treats) is to do what I want, which is give me attention.
I allow the dog to lick and nose at my hands to figure out that he can't get to the treats. I
begin to say his name, quietly and calmly. I don't make a lot of noise, or say his name over
and over quickly. I say his name, wait for a count of slow 5 or so, and say it again. Eventually
- the time it takes is different for different dogs - he will glance up at my face. This happens
out of frustration at his inability to get to the treat every bit as much as hearing his name. As
SOON as he glances up, I give my reward marker (which to me is a happy "YESSS!") and
then immediately open a hand and give him a treat. He will most likely only glance up briefly,
so my "YES" needs to be timed just as he looks up - the treat can come after that, but the
"YES" needs to be when he glances. After receiving the treat, the dog will go back to the
hand .. licking, nosing, trying to figure out how to get another treat. I resume the quiet saying
of his name. At each glance up, the reward marker "YES" is given, followed by the treat.
When the treats are gone, the session is done. Takes about 5 minutes.
I do this two times a day for several days, until the dog is looking at my face eagerly before I
even have to do anything. At this time I begin to expect more. Generally the dog glances up
and then immediately looks at a hand for a treat, because that's been the order of things up
to then. Now I wait .. he glances at my face, gets no reward marker and I continue to wait for
a second glance before I say "YES" and give him the reward.
Gradually you increase the number of glances you expect from your dog - which actually
changes into a longer and longer glance. Occasionally you still reward for the short or single
glance, so the dog doesn't really know what's coming and when. What happens, when you
go through weeks or months of this, is that you get a dog who is so in tune with his name that
you get an instant turn of the head and a look at your face when he hears it.
When I feel that the dog understands the concept, I start adding in distractions - slowly! I
may take the dog outside instead of inside for the first step. Gradually I increase the
distractions - perhaps some kids playing down the street, maybe another dog in the area,
etc. You can't expect a dog to learn a behavior at home and to instantly transfer it into a
distracting situation. Whenever I add in a new distraction, I take a step back and reinforce
frequently for small glances and then build to a longer glance again.
I continue, throughout the dog's life, to sporadically reinforce this attentive behavior. This all
works especially well if you do it with the dog's food and he gets nothing at all during the
weeks of training except for when he gives you attention or some other behavior you want. A
dog who learns that you have complete control of every piece of food that comes to him, will
bend over backwards to figure out how to please you. This is what I try to instill in my dogs.
Personally, I want dogs eager to please me because they look forward to the consequences,
instead of fearing them. Training can be done successfully both ways - and since it can, why
would I possibly want to use shock instead of the positive methods that work just as well and
also build an extremely strong sense of trust between myself and my dogs? To me, it's a
no-brainer. But of course, that's MY personal opinion.
By Melanie Kipp
(c) Kipp's Training Services
Canine Training And Behavior Consultations
www.kippsdogs.com
Name recognition means that my dog learns to look at my face when I say his name. You can
also teach this using a specific command (such as "watch") but I prefer to teach the dog that
his name is linked to a specific behavior. I find that most dogs don't truly understand their
names.
This training is done using positive reinforcement and no compulsion (shock or other types
of punishment) of any kind. Teaching attention and name recognition in an organized and
reliable way involves breaking down the behavior into steps and reinforcing (therefore
strengthening) each step before you go on. I'll give it to you in a nutshell, although it is better
spelled out in lengthier publications.
I start by having the dog on leash, and have 3-4 treats in each hand. I sit in a chair, with the
dog sitting or standing in front of me. The leash is merely to keep the dog from wandering
off, so I generally sit on it or put it under my foot. I show the dog that I have treats in my
hands and I place my hands on my knees. The dog begins to nose and lick at my hands.
This is expected and ordinary. The goal here will be to have the dog learn that the only way
to get what he wants (the treats) is to do what I want, which is give me attention.
I allow the dog to lick and nose at my hands to figure out that he can't get to the treats. I
begin to say his name, quietly and calmly. I don't make a lot of noise, or say his name over
and over quickly. I say his name, wait for a count of slow 5 or so, and say it again. Eventually
- the time it takes is different for different dogs - he will glance up at my face. This happens
out of frustration at his inability to get to the treat every bit as much as hearing his name. As
SOON as he glances up, I give my reward marker (which to me is a happy "YESSS!") and
then immediately open a hand and give him a treat. He will most likely only glance up briefly,
so my "YES" needs to be timed just as he looks up - the treat can come after that, but the
"YES" needs to be when he glances. After receiving the treat, the dog will go back to the
hand .. licking, nosing, trying to figure out how to get another treat. I resume the quiet saying
of his name. At each glance up, the reward marker "YES" is given, followed by the treat.
When the treats are gone, the session is done. Takes about 5 minutes.
I do this two times a day for several days, until the dog is looking at my face eagerly before I
even have to do anything. At this time I begin to expect more. Generally the dog glances up
and then immediately looks at a hand for a treat, because that's been the order of things up
to then. Now I wait .. he glances at my face, gets no reward marker and I continue to wait for
a second glance before I say "YES" and give him the reward.
Gradually you increase the number of glances you expect from your dog - which actually
changes into a longer and longer glance. Occasionally you still reward for the short or single
glance, so the dog doesn't really know what's coming and when. What happens, when you
go through weeks or months of this, is that you get a dog who is so in tune with his name that
you get an instant turn of the head and a look at your face when he hears it.
When I feel that the dog understands the concept, I start adding in distractions - slowly! I
may take the dog outside instead of inside for the first step. Gradually I increase the
distractions - perhaps some kids playing down the street, maybe another dog in the area,
etc. You can't expect a dog to learn a behavior at home and to instantly transfer it into a
distracting situation. Whenever I add in a new distraction, I take a step back and reinforce
frequently for small glances and then build to a longer glance again.
I continue, throughout the dog's life, to sporadically reinforce this attentive behavior. This all
works especially well if you do it with the dog's food and he gets nothing at all during the
weeks of training except for when he gives you attention or some other behavior you want. A
dog who learns that you have complete control of every piece of food that comes to him, will
bend over backwards to figure out how to please you. This is what I try to instill in my dogs.
Personally, I want dogs eager to please me because they look forward to the consequences,
instead of fearing them. Training can be done successfully both ways - and since it can, why
would I possibly want to use shock instead of the positive methods that work just as well and
also build an extremely strong sense of trust between myself and my dogs? To me, it's a
no-brainer. But of course, that's MY personal opinion.
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