How to Teach a Dog his Name - Training a Dog
The Easy Way to Train a Puppy to Come When You Call Her Name
Nov 4, 2009
It's easy to teach a dog his name. Here are good ways to train a puppy to come as soon as she hears her name. Gaining the pup's attention should be the first step before training a dog further.
Good Dog Names
First of all, a dog has to have a name. Most dog experts prefer short names because these are the easiest for a puppy to learn. And, while there is no “best” name, there are certainly many suggestions from various sites:
- Most people recommend using a one or two syllable name.
- Some experts don’t like to use extremely common names, as this can be confusing to dogs.
- Many experts prefer one syllable words, like Max; while some like two syllable words that end in a vowel sound, like “Lassie” or “Bingo”.
- Other experts say that “Joe” and “Bingo” sound too much like “No” and a dog can get confused.
Sing the Name
With a very young puppy, it is fun to sing his or her name while holding or petting him. For example, it is very easy to sing "The Rocco Song”. Take any simple song, like “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and change the words to “Rocco Rocco Rocco, Ro-cco, etc.” (Of course, the word "Rocco" should be changed to reflect each dog's name. Owner's should sing "The Maggie Song" to a dog named Maggie, and it's ok to improvise the tune.)
- This helps a pup to associate the word (her name) with petting and snuggling. She will also learn to listen for this one magical word.
- Try to use a happy, positive voice when saying the dog’s name.
- Click here to see cool names for big dogs.
How to Teach a Puppy his Name
A dog should learn to associate his or her name with positive things, and not with discipline. The basic rules are:
- Try to always use the dog’s name whenever talking to him, except when giving the command for “No” or “Stay”.
- Don’t use the dog’s name with the “Stay” command because the pup should learn that hearing his or her name is the same as hearing the word “Come”.
- Try to use the dog’s name with the other commands.
- Don’t associate the dog’s name with anything negative. (Don’t say, “Bad dog, Sparky!”)
- Don’t scold the puppy when he or she comes to you.
- Don’t scold the puppy when he or she comes to you, even if the pup doesn't come over right away.
Many people say that it's easier to get a puppy's attention than an older dog's attention, so speak the little fur-baby's name often. See cute names for lab puppies.
Don’t Confuse the Puppy
Sometimes, an owner forgets the rules. It is easy to mess up if a dog has just destroyed a pair of shoes, found the Thanksgiving turkey, or gone poo on the newly shampooed rug.
It’s so easy to say, “Oh no! No, Buddy! Come. No, Buddy, come here right now!” But, that’s the wrong thing to do for three reasons.
- People should not say the dog’s name when giving the “No” command.
- One should not give two commands together: "No" and "Come".
- And lastly, when the dog does the right thing and comes over, most owners will scold him or her in a harsh tone of voice, while saying something like, “Buddy! No! You can’t eat the turkey. Bad dog!”
This is confusing for the pup because he just did the right thing, when he came over, after hearing the “Come” command.
Sometimes it’s better to use a substitute name when scolding a dog. Try using this other name when saying, “No”. For example, say, “No, you little Nimrod.” “Don’t do that you little Dumb-Skull So-And-So.” It seems to help to have a replacement name, even if that name is a bad one.
Positive Reinforcement
To teach a puppy his or her name with positive reinforcement, go outside where there are a lot of good distractions and smells. Keep the pup on a long leash or rope and let him or her wander away a little bit.
When the puppy is sniffing around and interested in something else, call his or her name in a happy way. (If he doesn’t come over on his own, pull him over.)
When the dog comes over, give him or her lots of positive reinforcement, with petting and hugging, saying his or her name, and giving lots of praise. “Good girl, Lola. You are such a good girl.” Sometimes, it helps to give the pup a dog treat, but this shouldn’t become a habit.
Teach a Dog his Name
Not all adult dogs know their names.
Every dog should come to his or her owner when the owner calls. The problem is that many dogs won’t jog over to their owners unless the person already has the pooch’s attention.
Owners shouldn’t have to bribe an adult dog to come by yelling, “Cookie treat! Hey, Amber! I have a cookie for you. Let’s go, Amber!”
Read more about dogs and how to train dogs
It’s important to really make sure that a pup knows his or her own name and not just the sound of his owner’s voice. No dog can be trained unless a person can get his or her attention. And, it can be a matter of life or death for a pup to know his name when he's about to wander into a busy street.
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