Is your dog coming but not fast enough? Sing out “Good dog” as he lumbers toward you and start clapping as you run away from your dog. You might ask why I’m suggesting that you repeat yourself sometimes while avoiding repetition at other times. The difference is in the function of your signal. If you’re trying to increase your dog’s level of activity, use short, repeated notes. But if you’re communicating an action that inherently inhibits activity in your dog, like “Sit” or “Down,” try to say it only once, just as the handlers I interviewed did.
