With some dogs, they have such high energy levels that they can’t really concentrate on everything going around them. This means they struggle with impulse control. So, how can your dog listen if they can’t concentrate for long enough to take your words on and process them? The good news is that this can be fixed through training.
Now, impulse control has many factors that play into it. The first factor being dogs that have higher energy levels. They have a lot more energy to give the world, and in turn, the world is so much more interesting. So, with much to explore and such little time to do explore, it doesn’t take them long to move onto the next task. Therefore, the second factor is captivating their interest—this can be quite a hard one to master because you must be more interesting than the next task, and this itself has many components to it.
Some elements of being more interesting also boils down to respect, maybe the bond that you have with your dog is not as strong as you think it is. Remember that these dogs usually pay attention to whatever they find the most interesting, so if they’re not listening to you then it’s possible that they don’t really find you that interesting.
So, not listening could be a lack of respect, or it could be that the dogs are used to you not giving them what they want. When you ask for things from them, do you offer a fake reward? Or even reward at all? Maybe your dog needs a little more from you than you’re giving. You must ask yourself if fair exchange is there. Think like you dog, and that is, what’s in it for me? If the answer is nothing, then why would you do something you don’t want to do, over something you do? Therefore, they simply don’t listen anymore because whatever they find more interesting in the world around them is more rewarding to them than you.
So, the bottom line is, the main cause for impulse control is the dog not seeing a benefit in what you are asking. But there is lots of different ways you can tackle them from playing games and doing more training. Games that specialise in impulse control should help you master this—getting them to wait and concentrate is key.
The more exciting you start to become to them and the more likely they are to want to listen and please you. Whenever you ask anything from your impulse control dogs, you always must question what’s in it for them, because that’s what they’re thinking. If whatever you have to offer isn’t as interesting as whatever they want to do, you are not going to win the battle. Figure out how to use treat or toy training to get your dogs to perform in a way in which you want them to—it’s now exciting to them. Training is also a great way to build the bond with your dog and show them that you are actually far are more exciting than they thought. Plus, getting them to listen and respond appropriately, and setting firm boundaries will aid in building respect. With our impulse control dogs, respect is most certainly earned and not given.
To be honest, training won’t have to continue forever, but it should. Training has so many benefits, but, regardless, you just have to make sure that a solid enough foundation is built. That way, when you remove treats and toys, the power now lies with you as the interesting thing rather than whatever it is you offer. Make sure your training tackles tasks that makes you interesting, and not the treat or toy.
You can learn a lot about this in our courses. Learn how to control your dog’s impulses in a way that’s beneficial for both you and them, this will eventually make your life and their life easier and stress free.
