Teaching Your Puppy Its Name

Step 1 Prerequisites

• You have chosen your pup’s name.
• You have completed Step 1 of “Teaching the Marker/Bridge Cue”

Step 2 Prerequisites

• You have completed Following the Lure

How Long Will it Take?

Level 1 usually takes 1-3 days, with a few 2-minute sessions. Some pups will complete this training in one day.

Help and Tips

• Once your pup knows the marker, you should use it in your daily interactions and training. We will use the notation yes/treat to tell you when we think you should use it.
• If your pup won’t eat the treats, find something the pup likes better.
• If your pup is afraid of the sound of the marker, say a clicker, change the marker. If you are using a clicker, use a word instead.

Introduction to Teaching Your Pup Its Name

Attention is the first crucial and essential step in bonding with and training your puppy. Just as you do with people, you should say your dog’s name to get its attention. Once trained, your pup should turn and look at your face, waiting for your next cue. It should not come to you, freeze, cower, or ignore you. Ideally, it doesn’t look at your hands or pocket. If you are using your pup’s name in these ways, it’s time to change that.

For dogs, names are important because dogs aren’t verbal. They live in a world of words and sounds, most of which have nothing to do with them. The only way that they know we are addressing them is when we say their names.

Unfortunately, some people waste this amazing tool by using their dog’s name indiscriminately or negatively. For example, they expect the dog to come to them or stop doing something when it hears its name. Some owners say the name over and over again, getting more strident or angry. All of these chip away the value of your dog’s name.

Think of your dog’s name as the equivalent of your own.When someone you like says your name, what do you? You don’t scurry over and sit at their feet. Unless it’s your mother, you usually don’t cower. Hopefully, you don’t ignore them. Instead, you look at them expectantly, perhaps asking “Yes, what can I do for you?”
It’s the same with dogs. So when you say your pup’s name, we want it to turn and look at your face, eagerly awaiting a cue, signal, or response.

Name Rules

• Names are good things not bad. Especially for the first years of its life, only use your dog’s name in positive ways, never with anger, punishment, or correction. Don’t yell “Buddy, NO!” or “Buffy, BAD DOG!” Frankly, we don't recommend you ever use the words "no" or "bad dog" but definitely don't use them with your dog's name.
• You can use your dog's name to interrupt. You are allowed to use your dog’s name to get stop him in the act of something, like peeing. But when you do you always immediately give a cue for the correct behavior, such as “outside,” “Leave it,” “Come,” “Off,” etc.
• Names don't mean the end of fun. Throughout puppyhood avoid using your dog's name when you need to take it away from fun, like playing with his buddies at the park. Instead, simply go get the pup and give it an awesome treat. Don’t waste its name until it consistently comes when called. .
• Just say your dog’s name ONCE. Say your dog’s name ONLY ONCE when you need to get its attention. Remember, dogs are not verbal creatures—they do not understand actual words, they only learn to respond to consistent sounds. Repeating your dog’s name over and over only makes them think that their name is “Flyer-Flyer-Flyer” so they stop responding to “Flyer.” It also gives them permission to ignore you the first or second or even third time. So, say it only once! If your dog doesn’t respond, go up and touch it on it’s shoulder or head, as if you were tapping a person on the shoulder.

STEP 1 — “Charge” Your Pup’s Name

Training

To get started you will teach your pup that when it hears its name, it gets a treat. Unlike the marker, you won’t have to give your pup a treat every time you say its name for the rest of its life but to get started, do that.

To teach your dog that its name is important:

• Say your pup’s name in an upbeat voice and put a small treat in its mouth. The dog doesn’t need to do anything to get this treat except hear its name.
• Repeat this 15 times in 3 short sessions today. It should go quickly…”Glee!” – treat, “Glee!” – treat, “Glee!” – treat, “Glee!” – treat, and so on.
• If your puppy doesn’t look expectantly when it hears its name, do a few more sessions or find better treats.

HINT: You can go back to this step and re-charge your dog’s name any time over its lifetime when you feel as if it has lost its power.

STEP 2 — Teaching Your Dog to Look At Your Face

Training

Warm your pup up by luring its head back and forth and up and down. Do this two or three times.

• Don’t forget to mark the correct behavior by saying “YES!” or clicking and then giving your pup the treat.
• Now kneel or sit on the floor. (If you can’t sit on the floor, sit on a bed or couch and bring your pup up with you.)
• Sit up straight, don’t loom over your puppy, look kindly at your pup, and put a treat right in front of its nose. With your dog is focused on the treat, say its name (“Puppy!”) while you move the treat up to your face beside your cheek or eye.
• When the pup looks toward your face to follow the treat, mark it (yes/treat), and bring the treat down from your face to give to your pup. If your dog enjoys playing, launch into a few seconds of praise and games with a toy.
• NOTE: your pup doesn’t actually have to look all the way up to your face or look you in the eye. It just has to start up toward your face. Human faces can be a long ways up and some dogs are very uncomfortable making eye contact. We want our pups to look up rather than stare at our hands.
• Repeat 5-10 more times, seeing if you can get the pup to follow the treat all the way up to your face. It’s okay if it doesn’t get all the way but see if you can get a little further each time. Don’t forget to mark it, give the treat and praise.
• Stop before your pup gets bored.

Troubleshooting

One of the most difficult parts of Step 2 is being ready to yes/treat at your dog’s slightest glance toward your face while following the lure. Initially, accept the briefest look toward your face and mark it with a yes/treat BUT be sure to bring the treat/toy down from beside your eyes. This will begin to make your face valuable to your dog.