"Selective hearing?"

Boost your dog's responsiveness by playing this fun game!

We often get frustrated with our dogs when they don’t immediately respond to us. But we also tend to use our dog’s names allllll the time, and sometimes even to express anger or annoyance. So can you really blame a dog for eventually tuning out their name? 🤷🏼‍♀️

​The Name Game is a great way to teach our dogs to connect their name to positive things. It’s a simple, fun game to play with puppies and any dog who could use a little refresher in responsiveness.

​Here's how to play:

1. Start with a handful of treats.
2. Toss a treat on the floor.
3. The moment your dog finishes eating the treat, say their name.
4. The moment your dog looks at you, say your marker word and toss another treat.
5. Repeat!
6. To make it stick: 

• Toss the treat further away, or move around the room as you play.
• Say your dog’s name in various tones of voice. Whisper it. Shout it.
• Continue playing the game in gradually more challenging environments, like outside.
• Don’t jump straight to saying your dog’s name when they are really distracted by something. First practice saying your dog’s name when they are more neutral (continue to reward with treats or praise when they respond), then you can gradually increase the level of distraction around them.