Dogs mainly think in the present, but they are famous for anticipation. Ever see a dog salivate when you ask him, “are you hungry?” He knows what comes next, and he’s ready and waiting for it. Altho this can get dogs into trouble, when they learn that the 2-year old kid always drops his food, it can come in handy for us as trainers, teaching them without them realizing it.
If you decide to change your dog’s name, or the name of a command or cue, you will say both names at the same time. Say the new one first, and the old one last. Because dogs anticipate, they will eventually remember that if you say this new word, the next word is coming next, and then the food treat!
HOW TO CHANGE A DOG’S NAME
- If you want Fido to be called Ferrari, you’ll probably spend a few days or a week sounding pretty silly. Say “Ferrari-Fido”.
- Pay attention to when your dog’s ears perk up. If it’s at the “Fido” part, keep calling him “Ferrari-Fido”.
- The moment his ears perk up when you are still on the “Ferrari” part, you can drop the “Fido.”
HOW TO CHANGE THE NAME OF A COMMAND or CUE
- If you want to change the cue from “Place” to “Bed”, say, “Bed-Place”.
- As soon as Fido (or is he Ferarri now?) gets on the place bed, reward with a food treat.
- Practice getting on and off the place bed several times, saying, “Bed-Place” each time, and rewarding when he gets on.
- Remember to “free” him before he gets off.
- Once he moves towards the place bed before you can even say the “Place” part of “Bed-Place”, you’re ready to take the “Place” out. (wow that was confusing! Please feel free to let me know if that somehow does NOT make sense.)
Good luck and have fun with this! Try it with a friend’s dog when they are out of town… maybe you can teach their dog all German commands…
