Introduction

When it comes to training your dog, there are a lot of steps you can take. Some people swear by positive reinforcement methods, where you reward good behavior and ignore bad behavior. Others believe in the dominance theory of training—teaching your dog that they’re not allowed on certain furniture or can’t go into certain rooms unless invited. In reality, there’s no one-size-fits-all method for training dogs; what works for one person might not work for another, so experiment until you find something that helps your pooch learn!

Keep the treat in your hand, but keep it covered so they can’t see or smell it.

• Keep the treat in your hand, but keep it covered so they can’t see or smell it.
• Use a high-pitched, happy tone when you’re asking your dog to do something.

Don’t take the treat out of your hand too soon.

If you take the treat out of your hand too soon, it’s going to be too late for your dog to comply with your request. In fact, this is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when training their dogs. They’ll reward them for complying with their request and then say “good boy” or “good girl” but then pull back on the treat before they have time to do what was asked of them. You want to give them time after complying with a request before rewarding them so that it looks like there is an actual connection between what they did and being rewarded.

Use a high-pitched, happy tone when you’re asking your dog to do something.

When you need your dog to listen, use a high-pitched, happy tone when you’re asking them to do something.

Dogs are more likely to listen if they’re relaxed and comfortable in their environment. Dogs are also more likely to pay attention when they can see what it is you want them to do. This means that if your dog isn’t getting enough exercise or has trouble sleeping at night because of anxiety, using a high-pitched voice could actually make matters worse!

And finally: dogs are less likely to be distracted by other animals or people in the room if they can focus on your face instead of looking around the room for something else happening nearby.

Give them a reward even if they don’t listen.

One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make is not rewarding their dogs enough when they do something right.

When your dog listens to you, give them a reward. Even if they didn’t listen as well as you’d like, or at all! If you don’t reward them for trying to do what you want them to do, then they won’t be able to learn anything from it. So even if your dog wasn’t exactly successful in following your instructions or behaving properly during training sessions with pet parents, praise and reward him anyway! That way he will know that even though he didn’t get it right this time around, he has accomplished something positive by listening and trying his best.

Give a verbal cue each time before you ask for physical cues.

Verbal cues, such as saying “sit,” are easier to understand than physical cues, such as moving your hand from above the dog’s rear end down to the ground. Verbal cues can be used to get a dog’s attention if he is not responding to physical cues. They can also be used as a way for dogs who know basic commands such as sit or down to learn new behaviors and tricks.

Show them what you want them to do before you try to get them to do it.

You’re trying to teach your dog a new trick. You want them to sit, so you have treats in your hand and are waiting for the perfect time to offer one. Then it happens: Your dog does something else instead of sitting (maybe they run away, or bark at you). Before this moment, did you ever think about what would happen if your dog didn’t do what you wanted? Maybe they don’t know how much trouble they can get into if they don’t listen! That’s why it’s important that we show our dogs exactly how things will work before we try getting them to comply with our commands.

• First things first: Always show the dog what we want them to do beforehand. If my friend asks me if I want a cookie, I’ll say yes before she even offers it—just so she knows where my head is at! She’ll also be able to make sure that when she hands me the cookie later on down the line, I am ready and willing for it.* Second: When showing our dogs what we want them do in order for us not only their safety but also peace-of-mind as well (after all no one wants an upset owner around), make sure that whatever behavior we ask from them happens within reason; otherwise there will likely be consequences later on down the road!

Read their body language; maybe they aren’t listening because you’re making them anxious.

It’s easy to assume that because dogs are so expressive and have such a wide range of body language, they’re always going to be able to tell what you mean. But actually, it’s not always possible for them to understand exactly what you want.

For example: your dog might be so excited by the prospect of playing with a ball that he doesn’t even realize you’re trying to tell him not to do so—he’s too busy thinking about all the fun he’ll have with his new toy! And if there’s one thing we know about dogs (other than how much we love them), it’s that they can get pretty anxious when their owners seem nervous or scared about something. So if you’re feeling nervous yourself when trying out these tips on teaching your pet some new tricks, then chances are good that your dog will also become anxious and confused as well!

Train them several times a day for just a few minutes at a time, rather than one long session every once in a while.

To get the most out of your training, you’ll want to spread it out over several sessions and locations. Train them in short sessions throughout the day, like after breakfast and dinner. This will help keep you from getting frustrated with them or overwhelmed by the process as a whole. You also don’t want to focus on one thing for too long at one time—especially if it’s something like biting or housebreaking that might take some time to master.

To make sure your dog begins recognizing what’s right and wrong behavior, mix up when you train him so that he learns how to react in any given situation. If you always train in the same place, then every activity will look like playtime with “Mom” or “Dad.” It’s important for dogs to know their boundaries because they won’t always have clear instructions from us humans!

Practice in different places and with different distractions.

• Practice in different places and with different distractions.
• Practice at home, in the car, at the park. Anywhere you can think of!
• Practice with other dogs around, or people or kids or cats and even more things that could distract from your commands.

Dogs are more likely to listen if they’re relaxed and they can see what you expect from them.

When you’re trying to train your dog, it’s important that they are relaxed. If a dog is feeling skittish or nervous, they won’t be able to focus on what you want them to do. When training them, make sure that there aren’t any distractions in the room. This includes other pets and people who might be around if your pet isn’t used to being around strangers, as well as any loud noises such as televisions or radio playing at a high volume.

If you have food treats on hand, try using those first before giving verbal commands so that your dog is more likely to listen and follow through with what they’re supposed to do without having much difficulty adjusting their mindsets from one action into another quickly enough in order for them not too become distracted by anything else going on around them while trying their best not only obey but also understand what exactly needs done next within context of where things stand right now before taking time off again later once everything feels easier on both ends (you & pet).

Conclusion

We hope that this article has helped you understand why your dog might not be listening to you, and how you can fix it. If you still have trouble training your dog, then it might be time to see a professional!