If I had a pound for every time a pet parent said to me ‘But my dog listens fine when we’re indoors’ I would have a house full of dogs and a healthy bank balance! It’s really not uncommon for a dog not to listen to you when they’re outside. Sorry, but you’re just not that exciting when there’s so much to smell, see and get involved in. There are many reasons though why training them to focus on you is important.
So listen up and pay attention… in this article, we’re going to fill you in with all the reasons why it’s important to teach a dog to focus on you outside, how to teach your dog to focus on you as well as what not to do when your dog is ignoring you, and you want them to focus on you.
For a dog who hangs off your every word, download the Zigzag app and get cracking with your training. We’ll teach you how to deal with distractions, and teach your dog to generalise by training in different environments, so they’ll listen to you wherever you are with them. We have a team of professional dog trainers on hand to help you along the way too, so you won’t be alone if you get stuck at all. Why not check out our beginner’s guide here too?
Why does my dog need to focus on me outside?
It’s important for your dog to focus on you outside for safety and control. Having a dog that will focus on you with distractions around will mean you can ask them to come away from things you don’t want them eating or interacting with, and also improves general behaviour.
How do I teach my dog to focus on me outside?
Having a dog that will focus on you outside and be engaged with you, is something all owners can achieve, we just have to go through some methodical training to get there. Let’s take a look at how to teach a dog to focus on you outside:
Chose your reward
Find a treat your dog simply LOVES. For some dogs that will be chopped up cocktail sausage or cheese, other dogs favour homemade treats like liver or sardine cake. The smellier, the better! Food is a powerful reward for positive reinforcement training
because it’s quick to deliver, so you can get lots of repetitions of exercises in and reward behaviour immediately. It’s also easily transportable and fulfils a biological need for the dog – it’s a primary reinforcer and something the dog needs to survive.
Dog not food motivated? It’s worth looking at the reasons why your dog isn’t interested in food, all dogs need to eat after all. That said, for some dogs play is going to be much more rewarding, if you have a breed like a Border Collie then stopping that ball moving, or for a Spaniel retrieving a toy is often going to be more highly reinforcing because it’s in their genetic make up to be motivated by these rewards.
It’s worth noting too, that even if you use food in the early stages of training, you can often switch to toys as a reward later on, so your pockets needn’t be loaded with food forever – but if they are, then that’s OK too!
Remember – the dog chooses what they find rewarding, so pick a good one.
Train indoors first
Teach your dog to focus on you in a low stress environment first. They need to be able to learn and rehearse the behaviours you teach them, when there aren’t lots of distractions around. Your kitchen at home, or garden will work well for this.
Teach your basic behaviours
To get a dog to focus on your outside, we recommend teaching your dog some basic obedience commands, such as recall and also some of the exercises from our training games library like the name game, as well as rewarding check-ins so that your dog becomes obsessed with you and definitely won’t lose focus when you’re outside.
Create a training schedule and add controlled distractions
Practice makes perfect! Creating a daily training schedule for your puppy will help you figure out when to train, and also allow you to include controlled distractions. Your dog will need to practise exercises many times to become proficient in them, so be patient, and keep at it.
Controlled distractions are things which we add to make focusing on you harder – examples might be a pot of treats on the side when you train, or some dog toys you’ve placed around in order to make the environment more challenging for your dog to focus on.
Uncontrolled distractions are things outside your control, so it might be a high stress environment with lots of people, other dogs, or food lying around bins.
Train on a long line for uncontrolled distractions
If you have a dog who won’t focus on your outside, due to uncontrolled distractions like off lead dogs, animals, people, or the dreaded picnickers, it’s worth employing some management like using a long line when you take your dog to those environments to train, to help them get it right and be rewarded, but also prevent access or lack of focus in these places.
Management helps your dog make the right choice and is worthwhile at all stages of training, especially if you have a dog who can’t focus on you outside and won’t listen to you.
Reward more frequently outside
While your dog might not struggle to focus when training indoors or in low stress environments, going to different environments is a challenge. You’re basically resetting back to zero, so reward frequently with high value rewards when you go to these places.
Do more WITH your dog
The more you teach your dog with positive reinforcement training, the stronger reinforcement history you’re going to create, and this is going to strengthen your bond and create a dog who can focus on you and listen.
Why not try a sport that you and your dog can be involved with, like agility?
PRO TIP: If your dog’s lack of focus is due to stress or anxiety, and they’re scared when they’re outside then it’s still worth doing the above, but it’s also worth speaking to your Vet, and/or an experienced behaviourist to help them change how they feel. For some dogs, lack of early socialisation can create a fear response when outside, and puppies also have fear periods where they struggle to focus outside because they’re scared.
What do you need when teaching your dog to focus on you
Here are some important tips to be aware of when teach your dog to focus on you outside:
- Don’t use force, intimidation or aversive methods – this is likely to backfire as your dog will actively avoid you, and it doesn’t feel great for anyone! Stick to reward based methods, they help dogs learn best, we promise.
- Don’t rush the process – it can be tempting to try and go fast through the training, and because your dog does something well inside, try outside straight away, but going too fast can lead to errors and you’ll get frustrated.
- Don’t forget to use management techniques – having a lead or a long line on your dog is going to help avoid them from going self-employed and seeking enjoyment elsewhere.
- Consistency is key – be consistent and reliable in your training, use the same cues, and training techniques each time.
- Don’t give up too soon – stay patient, and persistent with training, so your dog learns what you want from them in different environments. It does take time and a lot of practice, but it’s worth it in the long run.
- Mix up your rewards – be fun and motivating in training, use movement and play being silly as a reinforcer for your dog engaging with you and focussing on you outside. Dogs love it when we’re silly!
Teaching your dog to focus on you outside is essential for their safety, well-being, and behaviour. Using positive reinforcement techniques like treats, praise and toys will help to reinforce the behaviour of focussing on you and create a positive association between you and your dog.
Start in a low-distraction environment and gradually increase the level of difficulty. Be patient, consistent, and avoid common mistakes like punishment, giving up too soon, and inconsistency. By following these tips, you can train your dog to focus on you outside and enjoy a happier, safer outdoor experience together.
Now that we’ve got your focus, you might want to do some further learning on how to get a puppy to come, or how to get your dog to ignore other dogs. We hope they’re useful for you.
Learning via blogs is great, but wouldn’t you like a dog trainer in your pocket? That’s what Zigzag is here for, not only do we have a personalised training programme that takes into account your pup’s stage of development and their breed, but we also have a team of professional dog trainers ready to help you via our in-app chat 24/7. Download the Zigzag app today and get cracking!
