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The following article is provided by West Tennessee K9 – Dog Training in Greater Memphis.
So many pups that come to us are totally tuned out. Instead of focusing on the human that’s working with them, they are sniffing the ground, scanning for things to get into etc. If you are trying to work with a dog that does this, it can be sure frustrating.
The way we overcome this is hand feeding and focus drills.
Just begin by feeding your dog it’s meals from your hand. As your pup is eating say yes, good, ok, and their name over and over. Do this for a few days. Now, hold the food right under your chin and say any combination of the words you used in the beginning, until the dog looks up at you. As soon as they look at your say YES and reward. In the beginning you are rewarding quickly. As your dog gets better gradually delay the reward. This will cause your pup to focus on you a few seconds longer each time. Repeat this as long as it takes for your dog to get it.
After your pup masters these skills, do the same thing but instead of holding the food under your chin, move it too behind your back. As soon as your pup makes eye contact reward.
This drill will increase your dog’s focus. If your pup won’t sit still long enough for you to do this, tie them back with a leash until they get the drill. If your pup isn’t interested in working for its regular dog food, use something with higher value like hot dog or canned chicken.
