Your dog's name is one of the most important things to teach them and to keep positive. When their name leaves your lips, you want them to look at you with complete adoration and anticipation.
Firstly, it is important to teach them how awesome their name is, and it is easy to do. Simply show them that every time they hear you say it: something good happens. It may be that you say their name and then as they look at you they get a delicious treat. It could be that you say their name and then play with them or it could be you say their name and give them a scratch in their favourite place (all dogs seem to have that one spot that gets their back leg going).
Your dog has to associate their name with fun and joy at all times. There are a few things to remember to make sure your dog’s name doesn't get poisoned and start being an unpleasant thing for your dog to hear.
Don't nag your dog! No one likes a nagger, you definitely wouldn't want to go home with one. Please don't get into the habit of saying your dog’s name over and over and over again, it begins to become white noise that they pay no attention to. Their name becomes boring and ineffective. Say their name once. If they don't look at you, then you need to be more exciting! You can make silly noises (high pitched usually works better), clap, crouch down, move, hide, anything fun! Just don't stand in the one spot constantly repeating their name, being a nag!
Don't use their name to scold them. We are only human, and our dogs are only dogs, occasionally miscommunications are going to happen. Out of frustration you may find yourself shouting/scolding your dog; just a heads up your dog is highly unlikely to learn anything from the telling off, just that humans can be noisy jerks sometimes...but that's another subject for another post! When you are telling your dog off (which we all have done at some point because we are only human!) please do not use their name. Call them whatever you want, idiot child is usually my go to, as long as it is not their name. Their name is a promise of awesomeness not jerkness. Their name needs to stay positive and happy at all times and not be associated with us being mad.
If you want a dog that wants to come back to you when you let it off the at the park or at the beach, make sure they love hearing you say their name!
