Short Attention Span

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#1
I think my dog has a short attention span. When ever I try to train him, it seems as if he isn't paying attention. Instead all he wants to do is play. Other times I can teach him a new trick in less than 5 repetitions. Can anyone help me how to get his attention so I can train him.
 
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#2
First, I can't remember if you've told us or not, how old is he?

An attention span is something that has to be developed. You start out with very short sessions, three to five minutes, and work your way up. Some dogs will eventually pay attention for quite a long period of time if you're doing something that's really interesting to that particular dog.

That's another point. Just like us, they find certain things more interesting than others, and some days they're more attentive than others. Don't ever let your dog decide how long the session is. Make him do one more repetition before you quit, and always make him perform one behavior successfully before the session's over, even if it's just something as simple as "Sit."

Remember, you've got to be the boss.
 

emc

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#4
I had the same problem with my Chihuahua when she was a pup. All she wanted to do was to play. I used that to my advantage. I turned play time into learning time. For example I would throw the ball only when I could get her to sit for me. When I wanted her to come to me I would call her and show her something like an empty paper towel roll so that she would become curious and naturally come to me, when she did I would give her what I had and we'd start playing around with it. It worked and teaching her became a lot easier. The key was to make learning fun and worth her while.

Chihuahuas On The Web
http://www.freewebs.com/chihuahua

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#5
Oh, your pup is in the throes of the canine equivalent of being a teenager. Try to be patient, work with him, and you'll both survive and thrive. The trick is not to give up.
 

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