{"id":13234,"date":"2023-04-25T11:37:21","date_gmt":"2023-04-25T11:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/blog\/uncategorized\/how-to-get-your-dog-to-focus-on-you-outside\/"},"modified":"2023-04-25T11:55:21","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T11:55:21","slug":"how-to-get-your-dog-to-focus-on-you-outside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/en-us\/blog\/puppy-training\/training-basics\/how-to-get-your-dog-to-focus-on-you-outside\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get Your Dog To Focus On You Outside"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If I had a pound for every time a pet parent said to me \u2018But my dog listens fine when we’re indoors\u2019 I would have a house full of dogs and a healthy bank balance! It\u2019s really not uncommon for a dog not to listen to you when they\u2019re outside. Sorry, but you\u2019re just not that exciting when there\u2019s so much to smell, see and get involved in. There are many reasons though why training them to focus on you is important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Focus on your training with Zigzag<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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So listen up and pay attention\u2026 in this article, we\u2019re going to fill you in with all the reasons why it\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


For a dog who hangs off your every word, download the Zigzag app<\/a> and get cracking with your training. We\u2019ll teach you how to deal with distractions and teach your dog to generalize by training in different environments, so they\u2019ll listen to you wherever you are with them. We have a team of professional dog trainers<\/a> on hand to help you along the way too, so you won\u2019t be alone if you get stuck at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Humphrey Muleba<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why does my dog need to focus on me outside? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 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\u2019t want them eating <\/a>or interacting with, and also improves general behavior<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I teach my dog to focus on me outside? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s take a look at how to teach a dog to focus on you outside:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chose your reward <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Find a treat<\/a> your dog simply LOVES. For some dogs that will be chopped up cocktail sausage or cheese, other dogs favor homemade treats<\/a> like liver or sardine cake. The smellier, the better! Food<\/a> is a powerful reward for positive reinforcement training\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Reap the rewards with our app! <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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because it\u2019s quick to deliver, so you can get lots of repetitions of exercises in and reward behavior immediately. It\u2019s also easily transportable and fulfills a biological need for the dog – it\u2019s a primary reinforcer and something the dog needs to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dog not food motivated? It\u2019s worth looking at the reasons why your dog isn\u2019t interested in food, all dogs need to eat<\/a> after all. That said, for some dogs play is going to be much more rewarding, if you have a breed like a Border Collie<\/a> then stopping that ball moving, or for a Spaniel<\/a> retrieving a toy is often going to be more highly reinforcing because it\u2019s in their genetic makeup to be motivated by these rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth noting too, that even if you use food in the early stages of training, you can often switch to toys<\/a> as a reward later on, so your pockets needn\u2019t be loaded with food forever – but if they are, then that\u2019s OK too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember – the dog chooses what they find rewarding, so pick a good one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Train indoors first <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Teach your dog to focus on you in a low-stress environment first. They need to be able to learn and rehearse the behaviors you teach them when there aren\u2019t lots of distractions around. Your kitchen at home or garden will work well for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teach your basic behaviors <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To get a dog to focus on your outside, we recommend teaching your dog some basic obedience commands<\/a>, such as recall<\/a>, and also some of the exercises from our training games library<\/a> like the name game, as well as rewarding check-ins so that your dog becomes obsessed with you and definitely won\u2019t lose focus when you\u2019re outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create a training schedule and add controlled distractions <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Practice makes perfect! Creating a daily training schedule <\/a>for your puppy will help you figure out when to train, and also allow you to include controlled distractions. Your dog will need to practice exercises many times to become proficient in them, so be patient, and keep at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Helena Lopes<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Controlled distractions are things which we add to make focusing on you harder – examples might be a pot of treats<\/a> on the side when you train, or some dog toys<\/a> you\u2019ve placed around in order to make the environment more challenging for your dog to focus on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Train on a long line for uncontrolled distractions <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have a dog who won\u2019t focus on your outside, due to uncontrolled distractions like off leash dogs, animals, people, or the dreaded picnickers, it\u2019s worth employing some management<\/a> like using a long line <\/a>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Management<\/a> helps your dog make the right choice and is worthwhile at all stages of training, especially if you have a dog who can\u2019t focus on you outside and won\u2019t listen to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reward more frequently outside <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While your dog might not struggle to focus when training indoors or in low stress environments, going to different environments is a challenge. You\u2019re basically resetting back to zero, so reward frequently with high value rewards<\/a> when you go to these places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do more WITH your dog <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The more you teach your dog with positive reinforcement training<\/a>, the stronger reinforcement history you\u2019re going to create, and this is going to strengthen your bond and create a dog who can focus on you and listen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why not try a sport that you and your dog can be involved with, like agility<\/a>?
PRO TIP:<\/strong> If your dog\u2019s lack of focus is due to stress or anxiety, and they\u2019re scared when they\u2019re outside then it\u2019s still worth doing the above, but it\u2019s also worth speaking to your Vet, and\/or an experienced behaviorist to help them change how they feel. For some dogs, lack of early socialization<\/a> can create a fear response when outside, and puppies also have fear periods<\/a> where they struggle to focus outside because they\u2019re scared<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Xan Griffin<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What do you need when teaching your dog to focus on you <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some important tips to be aware of when teach your dog to focus on you outside: <\/p>\n\n\n\n