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Clickaroo training guide · Foundations

How to teach your dog its name

This skill teaches your dog to turn and look at you when it hears its name, the first step to getting its attention for every other cue.

4 short steps, each with a picture and a clear goal that tells you when to move on. About 3 minutes per session.

By Shengxing Yang, developer of ClickarooBased on positive-reinforcement (clicker) training

On this pageEvery step in text and pictures, free to read, and Mochi’s animation of step 1.

In the Clickaroo appAn animation for every step, ✓ or ✕ for every try, and a suggestion after each session: move on, stay on the step or make it a little easier. Name Game is one of the five free skills.

Step by step

The 4 steps

  1. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 1 of Name Game: Say the name up close

    Step 1

    Say the name up close

    1. Stand near your dog in a quiet room.
    2. Say your dog's name once, in a happy voice.
    3. The moment your dog looks at your face, click, then treat.
    4. If your dog doesn't look, make a soft kissy sound to help, then click and treat the look.

    Move on whenYour dog looks at you within 2 seconds of hearing its name in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  2. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 2 of Name Game: Say the name when your dog looks away

    Step 2

    Say the name when your dog looks away

    1. Wait until your dog looks away from you, at a window or a toy.
    2. Say its name once. Click the moment its head turns to you, then treat.
    3. Sometimes toss the treat a little away, so your dog looks away again for the next try.

    Move on whenYour dog turns to you within 2 seconds of hearing its name in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  3. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 3 of Name Game: Add distance or a small distraction

    Step 3

    Add distance or a small distraction

    1. Say the name while your dog sniffs a toy or the floor.
    2. Then try it from a few steps away, then from across the room.
    3. Change one thing at a time: more distance or more distraction, not both.

    Move on whenYour dog turns to you within 2 seconds, from across the room or near a toy, in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

  4. Mochi, a cartoon puppy, acting out step 4 of Name Game: Play in new places

    Step 4

    Play in new places

    1. Play in the yard, a hallway, then on a quiet walk.
    2. In each new place, stand close to your dog again, like in Step 1.
    3. Use your best treats outside.

    Move on whenYour dog turns to you within 2 seconds of hearing its name in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row, in 3 different places.

The cue

Word
“Your dog's name”
Hand signal
None needed
When to add the cue
Your dog's name is the cue from the very first try. Say it once, not over and over.

Common mistakes

  • Saying the name again and again. Say it once, then wait 2–3 seconds.
  • Using your dog's name when you're upset, or right before something it dislikes, like a bath.
  • Clicking late, after your dog has already looked away again.
  • Only practicing in the kitchen. Your dog needs to learn its name works everywhere.
  • Ending on a miss. Finish each session with an easy, close-up try.

Good to know

Questions and troubleshooting

How do you teach a dog its name?

Teach a dog its name in 4 short steps: 1) Say the name up close; 2) Say the name when your dog looks away; 3) Add distance or a small distraction; 4) Play in new places. Move on from a step only when your dog meets its goal. For step 1, that means your dog looks at you within 2 seconds of hearing its name in at least 8 of 10 tries, two sessions in a row.

What if my dog doesn't look when I say its name?

Go back to Step 1. Practice when your dog is close and not busy, and click even a small head turn.

What if my dog only looks when it sees the treat?

Keep treats in a pouch or behind your back. Bring one out only after the click.

What if my dog answers at home but not outside?

Outside is much harder. Go back to Step 1 in a quiet outdoor spot, stand close, and use tastier treats.

Practice Name Game with Mochi

Clickaroo is an ad-free dog clicker and whistle for iPhone. Mochi acts out every step of all 31 skills. Five skills are free; Pro is a one-time purchase. No subscription, no account.

Coming soon to the App StoreGet Clickaroo on the App Store See Clickaroo

More training guides

About this guide

Written by Shengxing Yang, the developer of Clickaroo, from the app’s own lessons. It uses positive reinforcement: you mark the right behavior with a click, then reward it.

Why positive reinforcement: in its 2021 Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) writes, “Evidence supports the use of reward based methods for all canine training,” and finds no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification.

Clickaroo teaches everyday skills and tricks with positive reinforcement. For aggression, fear or severe anxiety, please work with a qualified trainer or veterinary behaviorist.