Perfect at home. Deaf outside.
Your dog sits, stays, and comes when called — in your living room. The moment you step outside, it’s like they’ve never heard a command in their life. This is one of the most common frustrations dog owners face, and it has nothing to do with your dog being stubborn. The outside world is just too exciting — and you haven’t been trained (yet) to compete with it.
“I thought my dog was trained. She knew everything at home. Then we’d go to the park and it was like she’d never met me. Bubbas helped me understand that I needed to build focus in stages. Now she checks in with me even when squirrels are around.”
Why outside is different
Indoor environments are low-distraction. Your dog has practiced commands there hundreds of times. There’s nothing competing for their attention.
Outside is a completely different context. New smells, other dogs, squirrels, people, bikes, sounds — your dog’s brain is processing a firehose of stimulation. The commands they know indoors haven’t been proofed against this level of distraction.
This isn’t a training failure. It’s a training gap. Your dog needs to learn the same skills in progressively more distracting environments. That’s exactly what Bubbas helps you do.
Building focus indoors first
Before taking the show outside, make sure your dog’s focus is rock-solid indoors. This means they can reliably check in with you, hold a sit-stay with mild distractions, and come when called with the TV on or toys on the floor.
- Name response: Say your dog’s name. When they look at you, reward. Practice until the look is instant and automatic.
- Watch me: Hold eye contact for increasing durations. Start at 1 second, build to 10.
- Indoor recalls: Call your dog from another room. Reward enthusiastically when they come.
- Distraction proofing: Practice commands with mild distractions — a toy on the floor, someone walking by.
Graduating to outdoors
Once indoor focus is reliable, start graduating to outdoor environments — gradually.
- Step 1: Practice in your yard or a quiet outdoor area. Low distraction, familiar environment.
- Step 2: Move to a slightly busier area — a quiet street or empty park. Higher value rewards.
- Step 3: Add moderate distractions. Other dogs at a distance, people walking by.
- Step 4: Practice in high-distraction environments. Busy parks, pet stores, trails.
- Key principle: If your dog can’t focus at any level, drop back to the previous one. Don’t push through — build up.
Use higher-value treats outdoors. If you use kibble at home, switch to chicken or cheese outside. You’re competing with the entire world — your rewards need to match.
Frequently asked questions
Is my dog being stubborn?+
No. Dogs don’t generalize well — a command learned in one context doesn’t automatically transfer to another. Your dog isn’t ignoring you; they haven’t learned the command in that environment yet. This is completely normal and fixable.
What treats work best for outdoor training?+
High-value, smelly treats work best outdoors: small pieces of chicken, cheese, hot dogs, or freeze-dried liver. The reward needs to compete with the environment. As your dog improves, you can gradually reduce treat frequency and use real-life rewards (like sniffing) instead.
How long until my dog listens reliably outside?+
With daily practice, most dogs show significant improvement in 2–3 weeks. Full reliability in high-distraction environments typically takes 4–8 weeks of consistent work. Bubbas tracks your progress through each stage.
Build a dog who listens everywhere
Bubbas’ focus training plan takes your dog from living-room listener to outdoor superstar.
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