Have you ever thought, “My dog listens perfectly at home… then we step outside and it’s like I don’t exist”?

You’re not alone and your dog isn’t being “stubborn” or “naughty.” Most of the time, it’s simply that outside is a completely different difficulty level.

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1) Outside is LOUDER and more exciting than your living room

At home, your dog knows the routine. The smells are familiar. The sounds are predictable. Your dog can focus on you because there isn’t much competing for attention.

Outside? It’s sensory overload:

• New smells (and dogs experience smells like we experience a whole movie)

• Moving things (cars, birds, runners, kids)

• Sounds (traffic, other dogs, gates, lawnmowers)

• Interesting “jobs” (sniffing, scanning, tracking)

So when you call your dog or ask for a sit, it’s not that they’re ignoring you, it’s that your voice is competing with a whole world of information.

What to do

Think of focus like a muscle: you build it gradually.

• Start in quiet places before expecting the same behaviour in busy places

• Reward check-ins (your dog looking back at you) like they’re a big deal

• Keep early sessions short, 30 to 60 seconds is enough. Yep, that short!

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2) Distractions make everything harder, home is easy mode

A really common mistake is assuming, if my dog can do it at home, they know it.

But dogs don’t generalise well. That means:

• “Sit” in the kitchen does not automatically equal “sit” at the park.

• “Come” in the lounge does not automatically equal “come” near another dog.

To your dog, the park is a new environment with new rules, and your cue might not feel as clear.

What to do

Train in steps, like levels in a game:

1. Inside the house

2. Front door open

3. Just outside the door

4. Driveway / garden

5. Quiet street

6. Quiet park corner

7. Busier areas

Spend a few days at each level and only progress if you are getting high engagement, such as an 80% success rate at that level.

If your dog can't concentrate at that level, go back a step. Trying to rush through the step will only result in failure. 

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3) Your rewards aren’t strong enough for outside

At home, a small treat might be enough. Outside, your dog is being asked to choose you over:

• Sniffing

• Following a scent trail

• Greeting people

• Watching dogs

• Exploring

The food they get everyday at home isn't as appealing.

What to do

Use a hierachy of rewards:

• Low-value (kibble) for easy environments

• Medium-value (treats) for moderate environments

• High-value (chicken, cheese, sausage) for hard environments

And don’t forget non-food rewards:

• Sniffing as a reward 

• A quick game of tug

• Permission to greet a friend (if appropriate)

The harder the situation, the better the reward.

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4) Overwhelm + stress

By far, this is the most common reason I see as a behaviourist, for dog's not listening on walks. If your dog is anxious, reactive, easily startled, or very excited, they may not be able to respond even if they understand what you’re asking.

Signs your dog is struggling:

• Pulling hard

• Panting when it’s not hot

• Whining/barking

• Scanning the environment constantly

• Ignoring food they’d normally love

• Jumping, spinning, frantic sniffing

In these moments, your goal isn’t obedience. It’s helping your dog feel safe and successful.

What to do

• Create distance from the trigger, more space helps instantly.

• Switch to cues your dog enjoys doing.

• Keep your training requests tiny and achievable

If your dog can’t take food outside, that’s a big clue the environment is too hard for them to cope with.

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How to fix selective hearing outside. 

Here’s a practical plan you can start this week.

Build a strong check-in

Reward your dog every time they look at you outside.

• No cue needed

• Just “YES!” (or click) and treat

This creates a habit: being near you and paying attention pays well.

Train super strong recall

Start in easy places and make coming to you the best thing ever.

• Call once

• Reward massively

• Let them go back to what they were doing. Don't only call them when it's time for the fun to stop. Practice calling them, then releasing again. 

Use pattern games for calm focus

Pattern games are great for teaching a dog how to handle those overwhelming or exciting environments. 

These help dogs regulate and reconnect to you.

Raise difficulty slowly

When things go wrong outside, it usually means you jumped levels too fast.

Go back one step. Get success. Then move forward again.

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Common mistakes:

Don't keep repeating the command if your dog isn't listening. 

Repeating teaches your dog they can ignore you the first 3–5 times.

Ask once. If they can’t do it, help them succeed (move closer, increase reward, reduce distractions).

Not giving enough treats/food rewards.

You’re teaching. Food is just a clear way to communicate: “YES, that choice was right.”

As behaviour improves, you can reward less often — but at the beginning, rewards speed learning. Don't be stingy.

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If you’d like help creating a simple training plan for your dog (especially if they’re reactive or easily overwhelmed), this is exactly what we work on in behaviour coaching and classes.

Email to book a consult at odayvets@gmail.com
Or fill in the contact form here.