Old Trainer: My puppy keeps forgetting commands. What am I doing wrong?

Dear Old Trainer: I saved your columns on training and I’m trying my best, but I must be doing something wrong. I’m not making much progress training Riva, my 5-month- old Huskie. She seems like she learns a command pretty fast, but forgets it the next time we try it. Is it me or is it Riva?

Wanda, Bozeman, Montana

A: Neither. You have two things working against you.

One, Riva is a puppy. Training a puppy is no easy task. Riva is too interested in having fun and loving on you to get serious, and she has a short attention span.

Keep working, be patient, but don’t expect instant success. Puppies learn fast and remember what they learn, but lack the focus of an older dog. Every thought in their head may vanish if a butterfly flaps by.

Two, Huskies are fine dogs, smart and loyal. But Huskies are infamous for being independent. They understand your orders, they just don’t see any reason to interrupt their busy schedule every time you say jump.

I’m having the same two issues with Blue, my 1-year-old Border Collie. She’s whip-smart and learns in an instant. The problem is getting her to concentrate for that one instant.

Even when she knows a command she ignores it if she has a better idea and in her mind she always has a better idea. We have a lot of stare downs.

Most dogs grow out of their puppy stage at around 12 months, and the training arc shows a dramatic improvement.

Be patient and keep working with Riva. If you teach her anything at her age it’s a compliment to you both. Keep the training sessions short and make them part work, part play. The fact she learns is the important part, not the fact she is too happy being a puppy to remember it the next time.

Dear Old Trainer: I just read your column where you talk about training your dogs to know each other’s names. My four dogs are not working dogs so why is it important for each dog to know the other dog’s name?

Harold, Greely, Colorado

A: The most obvious reason is when one dog is breaking the rules while the others are behaving.

If you express your unhappiness without specifying which dog you are talking to the whole pack becomes dejected. It affects their behavior, alters their moods. It’s the basic rule of the pack—dogs take their cues from the leader and you are the leader. It confuses them to think you are unhappy with them when they are doing their best to conform to the rules.

Dogs sense whether you are unhappy even if you say nothing. Every owner knows that wonderful feeling of having your dog sense your melancholy and coming over to love on you.

Another reason is you can give orders to one dog without the other dogs executing the order. This is vital anytime your dogs are off leash. I use it every day.

You owe your dogs the same level of love they show you. When you say something, let the pack know who you’re talking to.