You’ve thought of a nice dog name and unfortunately your four-legged friend doesn’t think much of it, because he ignores your calls when he’s supposed to come. We want to change that, because everything is much more fun with a dog that responds to his name.
We will show you how to get your four-legged friend to go crazy about you and to enjoy working with you.
That’s why it’s important that your dog listens to his name.
If your four-legged friend refuses to listen to his own name, this can have serious consequences. Imagine you are standing with your pet on a field or forest path, a car comes along and the pet is supposed to come back to you immediately.
If the dog ignores the call in this case, it can happen that you have no control over the animal in a dangerous situation. In the worst case, an accident will occur.
The same applies to all other dangerous situations. For example, if you meet other dog owners, they will not appreciate it if you do not have the dog under control. If you don’t manage to get the dog to listen to his name, it won’t be able to walk without a leash. That would be a great pity.
Therefore, it is important to get the dog used to it from the beginning and to invest a lot of time in training it. That the four-legged friend listens to his name is definitely one of the most important commands in a dog’s life.
Most dogs listen well to these dog names
If you don’t want to have any problems with your dog in terms of education and name, you should name him accordingly from the beginning. Of course, it is important that you like the name. It is equally important that it is easy for the dog to understand, that it is memorable and that it stands out from other words.
There are even some criteria that you can use to find the perfect name that will make education much easier:
- Name with a maximum of two syllables
- Vowel at the end of the name
- Sibilant at the beginning of the name
It is best if the name consists of a maximum of two syllables. Then the dog will recognise the name better. Furthermore, it is assumed that there should be a vowel at the end of the name and rather a sibilant at the beginning. According to experts, CH, S and SCH sound particularly memorable to dogs.
The name Charly, for example, meets these criteria. There is a whole range of other suitable names. Get creative! However, when choosing a name, make sure that it cannot be confused with typical commands such as “Down”, “Come” or “Out”.
How to get your dog used to his name through specific training
In general, it is important that the dog only associates his name with good things. Therefore, make sure that you do not scold or ignore your four-legged friend when he calls his name, but give him a treat or play with him.
The right timing is important when learning the name. When the dog responds to his name, it should be praised as soon as possible. Otherwise it can happen very quickly that the animal associates your reaction with something completely different and not with the name.
Especially in the beginning, it is important that you practice regularly with your dog. Train several times a day, but not for too long at a time. Ideally, 10 to 15 minutes per session.
You should only let your dog off the leash when you have the feeling that the dog is sure to listen to his name. In the beginning, it is enough if a puppy or adult animal makes eye contact with you as soon as it hears the name.
If you don’t want to reward with a treat every time, try clicker training. Here you use a special little tool that clicks every time the dog does something right. This effectively teaches the dog what his name is.
Make sure that you only say your dog’s name when something exciting is happening. Try not to confuse your dog’s name with other commands. It is therefore not a good idea to constantly mention your dog’s name when learning new commands.
Otherwise, the dog may become numb and stop listening to his name in the future. Once this happens, the adjustment will be difficult.
How to get your dog to come to you when you call his name
In the beginning, you should train at home first. Before you start recall training in nature, it makes sense for your dog to listen to you at home.
You should have a good basis for this and your dog should accept you as the leader. Start with small steps and practice at short distances first. If you are in the living room and then call your name, your dog should look at you, at least at the beginning.
To be successful in the long run, you have to keep at it and keep repeating.
Other criteria for a good dog name
Of course, it is not obligatory to keep the name that the breeder or the animal rescue centre gave the dog. Instead, pay attention to the criteria mentioned above and trust your feeling.
Does the name come easily and quickly to your lips? This is important so that you can pronounce it clearly even in difficult situations. Of course, you and all people who have to deal with your dog should be able to remember it well. Therefore, include dog sitters and family members in your choice of name.
Also important: No dog in the immediate vicinity should have the same or a similar name.
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Conclusion – my dog doesn’t listen to his name
To ensure that your dog always follows you wherever you go, it is important that you can reliably call him by his name. The choice of a dog’s name should be based on criteria so that the dog understands the name easily.
Dangerous situations can quickly arise if your dog doesn’t listen to his name while walking along a busy street. Before the situation escalates because the dog doesn’t listen to his name, it makes sense to take preventative action and train the dog in reliable recall.
But timing also plays a role in learning the dog’s name. In order for your dog to associate his name meaningfully, it is good to associate the name with positive things.
It doesn’t make sense to use the dog’s name if the dog does something stupid. He then associates a negative consequence with his name and no longer reacts reliably to it.
