My dog is easily distracted and always busy with other things
It is a common problem, dogs who are busy with other things during training. They get distracted from training because of this. They smell or see things that they find more interesting than training. This behavior is actually quite logical and explainable. The dog comes to new places where he often has not been before and smells new smells that he wants to discover.
We often see this problem with other dog trainers who we help to train their dogs. They also have dogs that are easily distracted and find other things more interesting. In all cases the reason is often the same, the dogs are not (well enough) socialized, at the place where training is taking place.
Give the dog the opportunity to discover the world
The solution is often quite simple. Give the pup first of all the opportunity to discover the world by socializing him well. Is the pup used to everything and are issues such as undesirable behavior well regulated, then we only need to ensure sufficient motivation to be able to train in many different places.
Therefore, it is important to spend a lot of time socializing the dog. We cannot go tracking with a pup in the village or in other places with a lot of crowds, if the pup is not used to all those distractions. We then ensure that we pay much attention to this at an earlier stage, by socializing the pup there first.
The leash gives the dog freedom
We always do the socializing on a retractable leash. The puppy then has all the freedom to explore the world and impressions to do. In addition, we always keep control with the retractable leash if something happens. The leash is within a few weeks soon a clear context for the puppy. When we put the pup on the retractable leash it soon knows that we are going out. Not to exercise, but just for a walk or to let the dog out.
Is the pup well accustomed to certain situations, then it is no longer a problem to practice under those circumstances. The pup must then have sufficient motivation to train. We also use a different line to give the dog the context that we are going to train. Training is then normally no problem at all.
It is important to give the pup the opportunity to come into contact with all kinds of situations. Think for example of other people, other dogs, other animals and so on. Often you see bosses who constantly try the attention of a pup to get. They must learn to pay attention to the boss to prevent them from doing other things, but that is not wise. It is namely very important that the pup gets the chance to discover the world.
Confirm the dog not if he scares of something
If during the socializing something happens that scares the pup, then it is important not to confirm or strengthen. For example by petting the pup or lifting him up. It is better to stay calm and the coming time to link something positive to what the pup was scared of. If a pup is scared for example of a passing car, then it is wise to give the pup something sweet every time a car approaches. First at a larger distance and if it goes well closer and closer.
Socializing the dog is an important aspect of raising or training. A dog that is not well socialized can not be trained optimally.
