Previous task
Hearing one’s name is always meaningful. It has a special status amongst other words.
Dogs also have names they recognise, given by both people and their peers. The aim of this task is to create value for your dog’s name.
Teaching the behavior only takes a couple of seconds a day but requires regular practise every day.
The most efficient way of teaching something is to make it a regular habit, in other words a routine.
Task stages:
Stage 1: call your dog by his name and reward
Practise begins at home. Prepare your dog’s food and then wait for him not to notice you anymore. Perhaps your dog is sleeping or doing something else by himself. Then call your dog by his name and give him his food. Repeat this at every meal.
Stage 2: repeat until your dog shows interest in you
Keep practising daily. Observe your dog: is he showing interest in you? Assess whether or not you are becoming important to your dog. You ought to be valuable to him but not taken for granted.
Test yourself
Call your dog while he is eating. You have passed the test if:
- your dog comes enthusiastically straight to you
- stays with you after he has eaten and is friendly and interested in you
- your dog considers you necessarily important to himself
