Charlotte Foster
The first signal your puppy needs to learn when they come to you from the breeder is the meaning of their name. Ideally, the breeder has played with the puppies individually for the past week and has already gotten them used to their names. But even if they don’t, your puppy will learn their name quickly if you pay attention to a few basic things. Make these first “learning units” positive so that the little dog always associates something positive with his name!
Hearing the name means looking at the person
The meaning you want your puppy’s name to have is this: “Warning, watch out, it’s meant for you. Something is about to happen that is important to you.” Whenever the puppy hears its name, it should contact you and, for example, look at you. You can then give him further information, for example, give him the signal “Here” when he should come, or just start a great game with him.
Train in a distraction-free environment
To help your puppy learn its name, start training in a quiet and distraction-free environment. In a moment when your puppy isn’t looking at you but isn’t completely absorbed in something else, address him by his name. He will then look at you with interest, which you must immediately confirm with a great reward. It doesn’t matter whether you give your pup a piece of food, start a fun game with an object or just cuddle it as a reward. It is important that your puppy also perceives the action following the look as positive. So always look for an individually suitable reward for your puppy and for the respective situation.
Repeat the name training several times a day
Now repeat this exercise several times a day. It is particularly important with this exercise that something exciting happens for the puppy. If you have children, you should explain to them that initially only adults are allowed to do this exercise. Because the puppy hears its name all day long because one of the children is calling it, it will eventually lose its meaning for it.