Pet trainer advice: Why is my dog is well-trained at home but ignores me outside?

Is your dog perfectly obedient at home but as soon as you step outside of the house it’s like all training has gone out the window?

You’re not alone. This frustrating experience is common among dog owners and a pet expert has explained why this could be happening.

”If your dog listens perfectly in the kitchen but ignores you as soon as you go outside, this might be why,” Thomas from McCoubrey K9 Services says in a recent TikTok video.

Watch the video above.

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“Inside your dog’s a genius but as soon as you step outside, it’s like they forget everything. Here’s why.”

According to Thomas, it all comes down to your dog’s motivation. At home, your dog has been trained to listen to your command in exchange for reinforcement – usually in the form of a treat.

But there is so much more outside of the house to steal your dog’s attention and limit its likelihood to heed your commands.

“Your dog’s only going to perform the behaviour to earn the reward and your treats inside might be cool, but outside they’ve nothing compared to squirrels, smells and freedom,” he says.

“And essentially it means you’re up sh-t’s creek without a paddle,” he says.

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Instead, Thomas says its important to work on your dog’s motivation and zero in on what gets their attention while outdoors so that they are more likely to listen to you while there are other distractions around.

“Have your dog work for their food in challenging and new environments and also play with them outside so you have something of value to offer your dog,” he says.

“Once you have something your dog wants, the obedience is easy because they just learn to unlock what they want they need to perform the behaviour.”

Training your dog to ignore distractions while outside is something Australian vet Dr Katrina Warren highly recommends.

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In fact it’s the number one thing, she believes, you should teach your dog to keep them safe.

“One thing that I encourage all dog owners and new puppy parents to do is train your dog to ignore other dogs when out walking,” she shared with 9honey.

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“This doesn’t mean your dog can’t socialise and play with other dogs, or hang out with their doggy friends; it simply means when you are walking or in public, they do not pull towards other dogs they don’t know. Instead, they ignore them.”

Warren, whose dog Chilli has been attacked more than once by off-leash dogs, says this can really help “in situations where you see another dog approaching or a situation that you would lie to avoid”.

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To help your dog do so, Warren has the following tips:

How to train your dog to ignore other dogs

• Schedule short daily training walks two to three times per day.

• Use ‘high value’ treats – these are treats your dog absolutely loves.

• Choose a cue word or phrase that will tell your dog to look at you – I use the word ‘watch’ with [my dog] Chilli.

• Start teaching in a quiet environment with no chance of meeting another dog – like your home or an enclosed yard.

• The goal is to train your dog to look at you whenever you say your chosen word like ‘watch’ but first you want to teach your dog that when they make eye contact with you, they get a treat.

• Call your dog’s name and when they give you eye contact reward them with a treat – every time. So, they are learning that eye contact means a treat.

• Start replacing their name with your cue word ‘watch’ as you hold the treat and when they give you eye contact they get the treat (and lots of praise).

• Practise this over many days in various locations at home until your dog always looks at you when you say ‘watch’.

If you still struggle with your dog’s behaviour, Warren says it could be beneficial to seek advice from a professional trainer or veterinary behaviourist.

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