The Best Dog Trick in the World
If your dog could only learn one trick for his entire life, what would that trick be? Sit, stay, come, lie down? All of these seem like good choices, but the best trick in the world might be the first trick you ever taught your dog.
The first trick i ever taught my dog, after he knew his name, was ‘watch me’. I taught my dog to make eye contact with me until i released him.
That, my friends, is the best dog trick in the world. It is very simple to teach, and has a host of benefits that might not be obvious.
Your dog needs to pay attention to you before you can teach him anything. It is literally impossible for your dog to learn anything if he isn’t paying attention to you. It might seem obvious, but can’t be overstated.
Additionally, watch me helps to eliminate a whole assortment of bad behaviors because when your dog is watching you, he isn’t doing other things. Your dog isn’t jumping on house guests, trying to steal food off the table, running around, chewing on things that he shouldn’t, etc. Instead, your dog is staring at you.
When your dog is watching you, he is tuning out the things around him. He is focusing on you and is easier to control and keep his focus off of other distractions.
Besides the practical benefits, there is something beautiful about its simplicity. It is a trick that literally every dog is capable of learning because it requires no special equipment, athletic abilities, size, or physical attributes. It is very relaxing to have a dog sitting quietly watching you as he waits patiently for the release command. It is the first step in mastering Dog Zen.
March 30, 2009
Tags: Clicker Training, Dachshund, Dog, Dog Trick Posted in: Clicker Training
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