Why Your Dog Doesn’t Listen

Discover common problems about why your dog isn't listening and how to fix it

No matter what issue makes a client contact me, there is always a common underlying factor. “My dog won’t listen”. Whether it’s a leash walking issue, recall, or they just simply won’t listen to cues. So many people try to train their dogs without addressing the critical foundation steps. One of those foundation steps is teaching your dog to focus on you and listen to what you’re saying. Without your dog’s focus, you might as well be trying to train a brick wall. There are so many things that are more interesting and worth their attention than a human yelling at them over and over.

Just like when building anything, a foundation is key in a successful outcome. Without the foundation, the product will just fall apart under any strain. When it comes to dog training, that strain can mean distractions or new environments. Yes, your dog may listen in your home. But what happens when you go outside? What if you go to a public space or a park? Can you count on your dog to listen then? Most of the time, the answer is “no”. Because they have not built the skills up enough outside of the home. You can’t just go from level 1 difficulty inside the home to a level 8 difficulty in public and expect your dog to just automatically know what to do.

This is one big reason why I created my course: “Build Focus in 7 Days”. The training doesn’t have to be complex and frustrating. As long as you have a solid foundation and the right tools, training can and should be fun! By “tools” I don’t mean prong collars, shock collars, or other aversive equipment. I mean the right exercises, games and rewards to help your dog want to engage with you, not have to engage to avoid pain and punishment.

With just a few games, the right rewards, and proper expectations, you can teach your dog to focus on you no matter what environment you are in. You always want to move at your dog’s speed. Don’t push them into an environment that they aren’t ready for. You might not think it’s a big deal, but to your dog, it may be stressful, overwhelming or just too exciting. So make sure you are setting yourself up for success and not pushing your dog into environments before they are ready.

One more factor that a lot of people overlook, is consistency. It doesn’t take hours each day to achieve results. A few long, sporadic sessions aren’t going to be nearly as effective and short, consistent sessions every day. Everyone has 5 minutes every day that can be set aside to train your dog. Maybe it’s before you give them their breakfast, at lunch or at dinner. Just a few minutes each day will give you much more success than trying to plan and stress over multiple hour long sessions each week.

If you want to learn more about how to help your dog focus, take a look at my course Build Focus in 7 Days.

Home