Nose to the ground- wont pay attention when called

[HARRY SELENT]

My 3 yo yellow lab puts her nose to the ground when w let her outside and she just wont pay attention when called- shes found a scent and doesnt want to come indoors.  we treat her when she comes, but dosnt seem to be an incentive enough

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Harry, welcome to the forums. I can understand how frustrating this can feel ,especially when you have invested in dog treats hoping they would help, only to discover that their incentive value is not enough. It almost feels like “It’s as if my dog knows what I want but is choosing not to listen.” However, this type of dog behavior is rarely driven by a desire to be defiant. The truth is far more factual and less emotionally driven.

In a nutshell, your dog is simply responding to whatever is most salient and reinforcing in that particular, given moment. In this case, the odor has become the highest-priority stimulus competing for the dog’s attention and behavior. Because every scent has the potential to reveal fascinating information, asking your dog to abandon a scent trail isn’t much different than asking someone to put down an exciting mystery novel just before the final chapter.

In this case it comes natural to think, if my dog clearly hears us calling her and we have rewarded her with treats, why does she keep on sniffing? Is this a case of selective hearing? The answer often lies in the strength of the recall cue under strong distractions. A recall cue is not truly under stimulus control until the dog reliably responds across a variety of environments and levels of distraction.

Stimulus control means that a specific cue (e.g., “Come”) consistently elicits the desired behavior because the dog has learned that responding to that cue is highly reinforcing. In the context of a recall, stimulus control exists only when the dog reliably comes after a single cue across a variety of environments, including those with competing distractions such as enticing scents.

Dogs who learn to come when called promptly when in the house but struggle when they’re in the yard and interested in smells simply have not generalized that response to environments filled with highly rewarding scents, wildlife, or other competing stimuli. In these cases, yes, sniffing may be more reinforcing than the food reward being offered by the pet parent. Basically, the environmental reinforcement outweighs the reinforcement history for the recall.

Let's continue to think of sniffing from our dog's perspective. Every time your dog sniff, it’s like opening another surprise package. While some sniffs may contain nothing remarkable, every now and then there’s this irresistible jackpot, under the form of a rabbit trail, the scent of another dog, or yesterday’s dropped hamburger. This unpredictable payoff is what makes sniffing incredibly difficult to interrupt. However, being aware of this variable reinforcement is powerful as it can help you formulate a strategic plan that will keep your dog on his toes when you call him too!

So How to Get Your Dog’s Attention When His Nose Is Glued to the Ground?

Every time you call your dog, you need to make sure that he rushes to you enthusiastically and the that reward given beats anything else. If coming when called consistently means the fun ends in exchange for a cookie or a treat he gets often every day, your recall cue can quickly lose its appeal. Here are some strategies to prevent that from happening.

-Don’t Make the Fun End

Imagine your spouse says: “Come here,” and every single time that means “It’s time to toss the trash” or “time to clean the garage.” With time, you’d become remarkably difficult to find! Now imagine that sometimes “Come here” means here’s your favorite dessert, let’s watch a  favorite movie, or here’s a surprise gift, and occasionally, yes, we need to clean the garage. In this case, you’d respond much more enthusiastically because the cue has a long history of predicting good things.

Now, if treats are given every time the dog is called when she’s sniffing, and the dog’s recall remains poor over time, this reminds us that reinforcement is something relative, not absolute. In other words, in that context, the scent has greater value in than the treat.

-Increase Reliability Around Scent Distractions

Calling a dog when he’s actively sniffing and getting a quick response isn’t something that is trained overnight. Here’s the thing: a reliable recall isn’t built by repeatedly testing the dog in challenging situations, but rather through systematic proofing.

I like to think of scent distractions in terms of weights at the gym. You don’t start with the heaviest barbell during the first weeks! So here are some general tips to work on incrementally. If your dog fails repeatedly, don’t assume he’s being stubborn. It usually means the distraction level exceeds his current skill level. You may therefore need to go back to practicing under milder distractions and using higher value treats.

-Begin indoors with virtually no distractions.

-Practice in the backyard before your dog discovers an interesting scent.

-Move to a quiet park.

-Practice near mildly interesting odors.

-Gradually work closer to stronger scent trails.

-Finally, practice around the kinds of distractions your dog is most likely to encounter in real life.

Use Premack to Your Advantage

One of the most powerful reinforcers may already be right under your nose (pun intended). On a personal note, I love to use this principle, here's more about it: Premack Principle! According to the Premack Principle, a highly desirable behavior can reinforce a less desirable one. This is also known as Grandma’s Law, in terms of “eat your broccoli and then you can have ice cream. For a dog who loves to sniff, the opportunity to return to sniffing after coming when called can be an even better reward than food.

Here’s an example on how to use it to your advantage:

Call your dog.

He comes immediately.

Reward with a treat.

Cheerfully say, “Go sniff!” as you point to the yard

Let him return to investigating the scent.

In this case, the message goes from “all the fun ends when my pet parent calls me” to “Coming when called doesn’t make the good stuff disappear, rather, it makes it happen.” How magical is that?

After several reps of this, once the dog’s need for sniffing has satiated (let the dog sniff to his heart’s content until all the novelty wears off and he appears bored) it may be time to call your dog to come indoors.

In this case, you will have to think “what does my dog love to do indoors?” If your dog loves to sniff, it may be worthy preparing a Snuffle mat loaded with several high-value treats and having that ready by the entrance. Or if your dog is hungry and he loves his food, present his food bowl.

Think of Your Dog’s Recall as a Lifetime Investment

Reliable recalls aren’t built in a weekend. Rather they’re developed through consistent practice and maintained throughout a dog’s lifetime. Even highly trained dogs with excellent recalls benefit from occasional “tune-ups” and surprise rewards to keep the behavior strong. And while a well-trained dog may come when called with impressive reliability, no recall is ever 100 percent guaranteed .No dog training is really guaranteed for that matter.

I hope this helps, 

Please let me know if you have another questions!

Keep us posted.

Best,

Adrienne