# Puppy has VERY short attention span...



## Digiwolf (May 3, 2017)

Hi All –

We went to the puppy school for the first time yesterday evening.

I was told by one of the instructors that our puppy has very limited attention span for a GSD, to the extend that she was very surprised!

We always thought our little one was behaving like a normal puppy...

Are there any exercises to increased his attention to us? Anything you would suggested at this stage? He's almost 4 months old BTW...

Many thanks!


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

How old? Define "short". Tell us a bit how he behaves when you work with him at home or in class. 

First day of puppy class can be quite over-stimulating for a pup. Normal for them to have difficulty focusing. Takes a while for many puppies to settle and be able to work.


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## Jake and Elwood (Feb 1, 2014)

Still a baby........not sure why/how instructor would make such a blanket statement. Of COURSE they have a short attention span at that age. Continue training....with age/maturity, the attention span will improve significantly.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

Your puppy is a baby. As long as you are happy with how your puppy is doing I wouldn't worry about what they say.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

Sounds like it was just an observation, not a judgement. I regularly say things like "I'm surprised she's not into food, especially for a lab". If I were serious I'd take into account the environment or that I've literally only interacted with the 8 week old dog for a couple of minutes..... but I'm not serious.

Maybe the OP does have (genetically) highly distractable dog... that isn't the end of the world either but it's better to address it now and formulate a training strategy around it.

Check out YouTube, videos on "engagement"


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## Digiwolf (May 3, 2017)

Thanks all for your replies.

Personally, I wasn't worried at all. I thought this is perfectly normal for a 4-month-old puppy. Yes, he is a little baby.

However, the tone of the instructor's voice and the fact that she suggested we should definitely do "something" about it, worried me slightly.

Our little one is our first German Shepherd, therefore I can't 'judge' whether his behaviour is normal/standard according to another 4-month-old pup.

I will definitely look for YouTube videos re: 'engagement'. For now, what was suggested for us to do is to call his name and immediately give him treats.

Oh – and make the walk to the local park a big thing (!): be very exciting throughout the walk... (Oh gosh, it's slightly exhausting...)


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Has the instructor not been around GSDs? A LOT of them are going to be stimulated by all the dogs, people, noises. The movement around them can be quite distracting. *raises hand* Been there with my GSD puppy. He did eventually learn to concentrate, but it did take a while. The only thing you can do is to move farther away from all the action and work on getting your puppy to focus on you. Gradually, move closer as his concentration improves.

But it will also improve as he matures. Not as big a deal as the instructor made it out to be.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

do training outside of a classroom situation.

one on one . 

quiet parking lot after hours . 

10 minute sessions . one lesson --- moving is motivating -- move with me -- heel , heel , good !
stop , dogs looks at you puzzled -- good ! move again ,

short spurts which surprise the dog and keep attention . change speeds -- dog adjusts good .

you stop , dog looks at you --- GOOD l

treat .

back in car - go home . When at home don't release and have a party . Quietly put dog into crate in quiet room.

let them think about what just happened .

when dog comes out of crate -- no big party either - matter of factly put dog outside to potty .

when dog comes in - no big party .


the dog will look forward to going with you to "train" because that is the new way of connecting.

you teach the brain as it were .

don't subscribe to a tired puppy theory of behaviour management . Don't bombard the dog with stimulation.
teach him how to be "quiet" and calm - help him to maturity. 
that means periods where he has time away , by himself , just to chill. When back in the midst of things , the family,
the dog does not dictate or manipulate how every one is to be with him. You give the direction - the dog has to fit into YOUR normal.

as far as the class --- I wouldn't go with this pup . He needs to focus FIRST . Nothing to be gained by asking him to do something that he hasn't experienced and can't do . 

too many dogs , as puppies , or children even, are over scheduled with activity - never any need or opportunity to dream and ruminate -- even people are starting to have the attention span of a goldfish. now what was I saying?

puppy classes tend to be organized mayhem . 

tell us about your pup when not in this classroom -- what is life like at home? 
what do YOU think ? what did you expect as normal .


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

I don't hit 'like' often, but carms got it


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## Digiwolf (May 3, 2017)

@carmspack, that was VERY helpful. Thank you very much...

We have an average back garden, for the London standards (!), which is more than enough for the puppy to run, explore and relax –I would have thought.

From my point of view, I thought it was great –so far. I bought a clicker, which massively helped! He sits, lies down and comes back –all these only when I have a treat.

Without a treat, it's 50-50... But I thought "well, he's young, he will learn eventually". We play together, too: he has his balls, stuffed ducky toys and bed that he loves.

It's an ideal environment to train little-by-little, typically every 2 hours, for a potty break from the crate, which is in a very quiet corner of the house, only for 10-15 minutes or so... Our household has no children, so it's generally speaking rather quiet.

When he gets in the crate, he sleeps or gets very quiet and chews on his chewable toys.

The only reason we subscribed to the puppy school was because I wanted to give him the best opportunity to become a good adult dog. My previous dogs were not trained, mostly because my dad didn't have time and I was little. So I thought "it's time to do things properly".

You said that he needs to focus first. I had the impression that he had focus, before going to the pup class. I thought "well, he's a puppy, his attention will get better".


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Digiwolf said:


> @carmspack, that was VERY helpful. Thank you very much...
> 
> You said that he needs to focus first. I had the impression that he had focus, before going to the pup class. I thought "well, he's a puppy, his attention will get better".


It will. Some pups have great focus on their handler, some want to explore. I have one of each, but even the one that has good handler focus gets distracted with novel situations. Practice practice practice and maturity make a big difference. And you have to find the dog's currency. Sometimes food works, sometimes toys, in my case one likes to be tossed pine-cones, the other fall leaves or snow balls. 

Food tends to slow down drives, especially when they have to stop and chew so the treat comes at the end of a short exercise. Toys can build up the drive if there is a quick give and take between the dog and the handler. I didn't know this at the start so trying to find what motivated my dogs to pay attention has been a lot of trial and error. I do know that hugging my dog is more a reward for me than for him...darn it all. I like hugging him when he does something good.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Without a treat, it's 50-50... But I thought "well, he's young, he will learn eventually".

not a good strategy .

50/50 turns to 60/40 to 70/30 to 80/20 to what will you accept , because the ratios I am giving you are not in your favour.

the dog learns disobedience .

I would cut the treats - no bribing or luring .

You ask for a recall , pup looks at you , dismisses you and continues to do as he pleases .
You quietly go to pup without any other instruction until you have hold of his little pull or tether on his 
collar - and then you repeat the command once and do it --- he has no option. 
You are walking backwards - come - and give dog little yank and keep going to where you were the first time you called him.
No big reward .
No quick release .
Just let him be with you and think about it.

end of game .


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

digiwolf said 
"From my point of view, I thought it was great –so far. I bought a clicker, which massively helped! He sits, lies down and comes back –all these only when I have a treat."

well that's interesting. How exactly did the clicker help? He is only responsive 50/50 -- put the clicker away - and concentrate on the dog.

laughable story -- while a member of a competitive obedience club we had a member with a toy poodle . The owner , was honest to goodness a practicing psychiatrist . Clicker was a relatively new concept (tool) operant conditioning as old as the former century . That dog had that DR. at his mercy . Click , jump and do a somersault , click and hump the leg, click and bark --- absolutely every thing under the sun except for what he wanted the dog to do.

Your dog has got you figured out. Digi wolf - yeah good name , that young-domestic-housewolf is giving you the digi
all right.

tools are only as good as the person using them.

only perfect practice makes for perfect performance.


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## Digiwolf (May 3, 2017)

Thanks carmspack! Very useful advice. I can see that the puppy starts to behave and listen to me more, with and without the clicker. Now the treats are more infrequent.

I most probably know that the answer is on Google, however do you have a non-treat-based book in mind that I could have a look at? I'm very intrigued (positively) by your approach as most bibliography, including our 'puppy' school (strongly) recommends treats as the 'tool' to obedience.

BTW, last night, the course was a disaster for us! He was barking at everyone and everything, wasn't listening at all. When we returned back home, he became VERY calm, obedient, loving and responsive...

I'm puzzled...


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## ubercake (Apr 16, 2017)

Practice the training in various places/contexts as Carmspack suggested. 

At home the dog may be amazing, but when you're out of the house the distractions abound.

Your dog needs to learn that it must be obedient no matter the context. Try taking the dog to places with few distractions (suggest vacant lot or park with few people) and going through your training routine then build up to places with increasing distractions over time as you feel the dog has learned and understands your expectations at the current venue.

A major key is you need to stay consistent with your training whether at home or away, too. You can't issue commands at home one way and then in public another way and expect the same outcome. It's the same with the way you reward the dog. Consistency. Timing of the delivery of the reward has to be consistent and always on time.

I'm not so sure I would cut the treats with a dog this young though. When you train your dog outside the house or take it to training class, is it right after the dog has eaten a meal? 

That would explain why treats aren't a motivator. I'm not suggesting you starve the dog by any means, but a dog that hasn't had a meal yet makes for a food driven animal. I don't know many dogs that wouldn't work for food if they aren't satiated.

You can feed the dog his regular meal after training. Some trainers even suggest the entire meal can be fed as rewards while training, but I don't think I'd personally go this far or your dog may get distracted by its need to eliminate at some point.

Only after the dog can demonstrate it will do as asked with consistent food rewards (indicating it clearly knows what you expect), do you start a variable reward schedule.

I don't profess to be a training expert, but I have been able to successfully train multiple dogs and breeds by using only their daily kibble as a reward by withholding a meal until after the training (using a two-time/day feeding schedule).


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