Getting a dog's attention is an important first step in dog training.

The benefits of training a dog includes peace of mind for new dog owners that their pet won’t run off, annoy people who drop in for visits, or feel like they’re at the mercy of their dog!

This is especially important in neighborhoods with narrow streets and where people regularly walk their dogs.

Training a dog may be an obvious need for owners who have larger pets like German Sherpherds or Dobermans. But even small dogs will benefit from the structure.

Accessories for training a dog can be purchased online or in the local pet store.
These items include:

• A sturdy, short leash
• A clicker to provide a consistent sound to mark the dog’s behavior
• Two different types of dog treats

The dog owner should have patience and commit to spending up to two hours per week working with the dog during the first couple of months.

Why getting the dog’s attention is first

Getting the dog’s attention is step 1 in training. You must have its attention or else you can’t teach him anything. Get the dog to watch you.

While the dog is on a leash you’re holding, wait. When it’s looking away, say the dog’s name and add “watch me.” In other words, “Spot, watch me.”

When the dog looks at you, give him a treat.

I didn’t start exactly with this step. But when we went on our walks, I would kneel and when my dog looked back to wonder why we weren’t moving, I’d say, “Bubba, come here.”
He’d come trotting back, I would say “sit, watch me” and I would give him a treat. He also sat naturally since I had already taught him to sit.

Hold the treat up in front of your own nose so the dog sees your face and eyes.
It’s been successful enough to where there are distractions and excitement he still has looked back at me to return.

Start off with shorter intervals for treats and then extend the time.

Practice this at least 3 – 5 times per day for a few days to establish a pattern. Your dog should begin to pick it up after a few days. But continue on even as you begin to introduce other tricks or commands.

As you get your dog’s attention, then you become “important” to it and you give a reason for responding.

After I started training my dog, on two different walks recently, I’ve seen people struggle with their larger dogs – one was a German shepherd with a muzzle on it. One person hit his to try and get it to calm down.

An untrained dog is a source of stress.

A trained dog is much more secure.