Free Tips on How to Get a Puppy to Listen

For this Omaha dog behavior training session we worked with Zoey and Juno, a pair of Weimaraners on how to get a puppy to listen. These pups have difficulty listening to their guardians, especially when they are overexcited.

We began the session by talking about the relaxation protocol appointments that Jacob, one of our level one trainers, had with the dogs. The guardians said it didn’t go as well as they or Jacob had hoped. After spending a few minutes with Zoey, I understand why.

I’ve worked with over 4,000 dogs professionally at this point and I would say Zoey is in the top 10 of the most energetic dogs I’ve seen. Her pupils were maximumly dilated, she paced the room, jumped up on me, nudged her guardians for attention and just couldn’t settle down.

Why Won’t a Dog Listen?

I usually discuss the importance of exercise halfway through a session, but because of Zoey‘s behavior I knew we needed to burn off some energy immediately.

I showed her guardians a few exercise tips, then demonstrated the doggy stairmaster. I don’t suggest doing this activity often anymore. It can be repetitive and cause physical problems if done too much. I recommended the guardians discuss it with their vet to be sure that it’s not gonna be a problem for the dogs.

After about four minutes of the doggy stairmaster, Zoey was finally relaxed enough to lay down and just chill out. I recommended various enjoyable ways for her to exercise. These included sniff walks, tug-of-war games, using a weighted backpack, and playing scent games. I also suggested several mental stimulation exercises as well.

These dogs have a lot of energy. This makes it difficult to fix their behavior issues.

The guardians need to establish a daily schedule. This schedule should include both mental and physical activities throughout the day. They should try different amounts of exercises at different times to find a routine that works for them and the pups.

Experiment with various exercise routines until you discover what works best. It may take some trial and error to find the perfect balance. Remember that every dog is different, so what works for one may not work for another.

Because Zoey’s energy level was so high, I wanted to show the guardians how they could build on the lessons that Jacob had gone over with the relaxation protocol. Watch the video below for tips on using the relaxation protocol to help your dog succeed in various activities.

The key to the relaxation protocol tips detailed above is to practice in small steps on a consistent basis. You need to build on the previous day’s success. Practicing for 2-3 minutes several times a day for a week is more effective than practicing rarely and inconsistently.

How to Get a Puppy to Listen

The main lesson the guardians wanted help with was how to get a puppy to listen different in situations. A huge part of this is the dogs not being exercised as often as they need.

Lack of exercise can concentrate a dog’s energy and when any outlet presents itself, the dog goes in full force. This intensity is why the dogs don’t seem to listen to people. Regular exercise will help improve the dog’s ability to listen to their guardians.

While an increase of exercise and mental stimulation will help, there are a number of tips you can use to teach a dog to listen better. If you have a dog that is so excited it can’t listen, check out the free positive dog training video below.

The great thing about this easy way to teach a dog to listen to you is that anyone can do it if they can go at the dog’s pace and practice often. You don’t have to be a professional Weimaraner dog trainer to do it. Guardians should practice this exercise regularly to improve their dog’s listening skills and achieve the best results.

Tips to Teach a Dog to Listen to You

This exercise is similar to a relaxation protocol. Practicing it often will help the dog become better at listening. The more the exercise is practiced, the more noticeable the improvements will be.

To help the guardians remember all the dog behavior tips we shared in this in-home training session, we made a roadmap to success video you can check out below.