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Using distractions in your dog training efforts

By Ty Brown

As a professional dog trainer there are several phrases that I often hear. One of those is, "My dog is usually really good at home. But when I take him on a walk or to the park I can't get him to listen to me."

While this is a very common complaint, the solution is simple common sense. Here is how you do it.

The goal of every dog training program should be a dog that loves to be obedient but realizes that he has to be obedient. This is accomplished through the correct mix of motivation (physical and verbal praise, toys, treats, etc.) and corrections (jerk on the leash, spray of a squirt bottle, etc.). When you can motivate your dog to be obedient and correct him for not being obedient you will quickly find that your dog is happy to obey around the house.

Now, if you want to have your dog obey you away from the house here is what you do. Make distractions your best friend. That's right, when you go outside you are likely bombarded by all sorts of distractions. There are barking dogs, passing cats, speeding cars, playing children and so many other things that in the past caused your dog to not obey. Your dog likely got so excited upon seeing these things that the last thing on his mind was to listen to what you had to say.

If you have done a nice job training your dog in your house it is now time to confront these distractions head on. Instead of bypassing the neighbor dog behind the fence that always causes your dog to pull on the leash, use that dog. Go right up to the distraction and oblige your dog to obey. If he doesn't obey, use the proper correction. When the correction gets him to obey give him the proper praise.

Do this many times in many places. When you take your dog to the park and he wants to go crazy over the ball that the young children are playing with instead get him to sit or lie down. If he doesn't, use the leash to correct and then praise him when he complies. Get creative. Whenever you see any sort of thing that you think could distract your dog walk towards it. When you see your dog getting riled up, give him a command and make sure he does it.

If you do this correctly after a while you will find that your dog realizes something very important. It doesn't matter what is going on in the outside world, the owner's commands still have meaning. If you do this correctly you will also find that where distractions used to be a cause for him to go crazy are now his strong points.

It is very important to remember that you just can't jump to this point. Dog training is all about building on small victories. If your dog isn't good at home you shouldn't be training with distractions. Take things one step at a time and you will soon have your dog obeying you regardless of what is going on around him.