A friend of mine uses a game she calls "stuff the puppy" to teach a dog its name... at feeding time, instead of normal food, get some really great treats (chopped cooked chicken, chicken livers, meatballs, cheese, etc.), and hand feed the dog, saying its name every time it gets a bite: "Bella!" (bite), "Bella," (bite), "Bella," (bite), etc. ad infinitum.
The other thing I have to watch is to USE the dog's name every time I talk to him, instead of other phrases such as "little boy," "sweet boy," "little bit," "stinker," etc. Those sort of pet names work fine later, after he knows his name, but they only confuse him when he's just learning. |