Training Tip Tuesday: The Name Game

One of the first things I like to teach dogs is that their name predicts something good.

My own dogs are a great example of this. If I say one of their names, they immediately spin back toward me, lick their lips, and head back to me, because they’ve learned that coming to me when they hear their name might earn them a treat.

That reaction is called a conditioned emotional response (CER).

Dogs quickly learn that certain things predict rewards, and we can use that in training.

So we teach:

Dog’s name → come to my human → treat

It really is that simple. Say your dog’s name and then give them a treat.

Over time your dog learns that responding to their name is always worthwhile, and it builds a strong habit of checking in and coming back to you.

One important tip though — we don’t want to water down our recall cue (your dog’s name) by using it when the dog isn’t going to respond.

Try to use your dog’s name when you can manage the situation and environment so that they can respond successfully. For example, when they’re nearby (and not distracted) or when they’re on a long line.

That way every time your dog hears their name they learn:

Name → come to my human → good things happen

A quick note about treats — when I’m training my own dogs, the treats they earn usually come out of their daily food allowance (their kibble) rather than being extra food.

This makes it easy to reward lots of good behaviour without overfeeding.

I’ll dive into this a bit more in a future Training Tip Tuesday.