How well does your dog know his/her name? Will "Fido" look at you when you call out? What if "Fido's" outside? What if "Fido" is chasing a squirrel? Does "Fido" think his name means "No, Fido! Bad Dog!" Teaching your dog to respond to his/her name should be fun, a game. Responding to his/her owner should be your dog's favorite thing to do. Ensuring your dog's willingness and eagerness to give you attention is easy when you employ basic behavior modification techniques. Getting a reliable, quick response can be taught by playing a simple game. Start when your dog is inattentive to you. In a pleasant and "up" tone of voice, call your dog's name. Say your dog's name only once. This is important. If you have to say

"Fido, Fido, Fido", your dog is learning to ignore the first attempt. After you call out your dog's name, a fun and exciting reward will be given. Be creative. Don't fall into the trap of saying "Fido" and then giving your dog a biscuit. Say his/her name and then fall to the floor, laughing and wrestling. Say his/her name and then grab the leash and go for a walk. Say his/her name and then hand over a piece of chicken from last night's dinner. Remember to say the name first and THEN engage in the activity. Your dog will soon learn to associate his/her name with all the payoffs that are so important to a happy life. Once your dog is anticipating the reward about 85 percent of the time, you're ready for Stage Two. At this point, call your dog's name. IF your dog looks at you, then engage in the rewarding activity. If your dog does NOT look at you after you call his/her name, pick up a toy and start playing with a toy by yourself and really have fun with it! You could also pick up the leash and go for a brief little walk without him/her! This lets your dog know that he/she missed something. Don't give in if your dog tries to engage you at this point. Wait until he/she is neutral and then try again. In no time, you'll have a dog anxiously awaiting that magic word, "Fido!"