“Handler awareness” generally refers to the amount of attention or “awareness” a dog gives to the person who is their handler – whether that is their owner, trainer, dog walker, or someone else.

For example, if I’m out with Riley, I am her “handler”. If my mom is taking her for a walk, then my mom is her ‘handler”. If she goes on an outing with a trainer, the trainer is her “handler”. Basically, whoever is responsible for guiding the dog in their environment at the time is the handler.

Awareness is not just about whether they obey or not. It’s about check-ins and general attentiveness.

Does the dog look at you periodically? Do they even acknowledge your existence? If they are headed in a direction they have not been before, do they look to you for approval or do they plunge ahead?

Handler awareness is something that can be taught and it’s primarily about communication. Does the dog trust you and rely on you for guidance and leadership in whatever environment you happen to be in at the time? If they do, they will look to you and follow your lead.

This is where most definitions of handler awareness end – the dog is aware of their handler and responsive to them.

What I have discovered is that there is another, equally important facet of handler awareness that isn’t discussed nearly enough. And that is the awareness the handler has of the dog.

Awareness goes both ways.

Why should Riley be aware of me and checking in with me, if I’m not paying attention to her? If I’m on my phone or engrossed in conversation and not attentive to what is happening with her, then I’m going to miss her check-ins, her requests for permission or direction, and other vital communications. The more of these I miss, the less valuable I become and the more disconnected she becomes.

This is something you can see clearly at a dog park.

There are dog owners there who are attentive and engaged with their dogs. They know where they are, and what they are doing, and they are providing guidance – verbal or non-verbal. They are watching and they take responsibility for their dogs’ behavior and needs.

Then there are the dog owners who check out. They get their dog inside the park and they are immediately on their phones or distracted. These people don’t know where their dog is or what they are doing until something happens that gets their attention – usually something negative.

And some people are too much. They stress their dog out. They are continually in their space, talking to them, asking things of them, and the dog has no freedom or autonomy. That’s not handler awareness, that’s anxiety. There’s a difference.

Let me give you an example of what good hander awareness might look like:

I take Riley to a field where she can safely run off-leash. I remove her leash and before running off she stops and looks at me, waiting for the go-ahead. I nod or say “free” and off she goes.

She sees a squirrel but it’s on the other side of the field, much further than I usually let her go. I know she’s tracking something because I’m paying attention to her, and I see her look at the squirrel and then look at me. I check out the environment to make sure it’s safe and give her a nod or “Go get it”. She takes off at full speed after the squirrel while I follow, paying attention to everything that her hunting drive mind can’t even see.

When she has treed the squirrel, she looks at me to see if I’m happy. Usually, I encourage her to “talk to it” and she hops around the tree, barking happily at her captive prey. Then I call her “out” and she stops and comes to me, and we walk off in some other direction to see if we can find more squirrels. I’m watching and paying attention to her and the environment, she’s periodically looking at me while she’s looking for more squirrels.

Handler awareness is important in a dog-owner relationship. It helps keep the dog safe. It keeps communication open. It helps to build confidence and trust even as it deepens relationships. It also helps a dog develop impulse control. Just that single moment of stopping to check in before allowing the impulse to chase the squirrel or go say hello to a dog or friend makes a huge difference.

The fact that I know that Riley will not just take off without checking in even when we’re running around and she’s off-leash, gives me confidence in her. The fact that I also have backup commands for those times when impulse wins in her hunting dog brain, also helps. I know that 99% of the time Riley will stop on a dime if I say, “halt” even if she is mid-run after a squirrel, and I have the backup of an e-collar for that 1% where the adrenaline is too high for her to hear anything but the pounding of her own heart and the pull of the prey drive. That is all part of handler awareness.

It’s developed over time, and it requires intentionality and focus.

If you want your dog to pay attention to you, you need to pay attention to them.

Some dogs do this readily. They are naturally keyed into their handler. Some dogs are more aloof and distant, and they have to learn handler awareness. Some dogs can do it but choose not to.

Riley has had great handler awareness with me from day one, which has been a blessing. It has improved and grown stronger as we’ve established our relationship over the last six years. And I’ve worked hard and intentionally to help her build handler awareness with people I trust; friends and my mom who walk her; the trainer who used to take her on half-day pack outings. This matters because if there’s ever a time I can’t take care of her, I want her to be reliable for whoever is helping take care of her for me.

It’s not something we often think about when we first get a dog but helping them get used to someone else walking and leading them; to someone else caring for them, feeding them, and giving them commands is important. We don’t necessarily plan to be in a position where we can’t be there but if you have your dog for 10-16 years odds are there’s going to be a time when you will board them or have a dog sitter or a dog walker.

I broke my foot and couldn’t walk her. Then I got COVID and landed in the hospital for a month. When I got home it was a long recovery. I thanked God every day that I had a support system in place that included her. That I could trust her with the people taking care of her. I knew they knew her needs and preferences and communication style and that they would take good care of her; and that she would be okay. Not just because I built the relationships but because I was intentional about developing handler awareness with people other than me, with her.

I’m not bragging. Much of it was done without really realizing what I was doing. I’m sharing because it’s much better to do things like this on purpose, and half the battle is understanding what handler awareness is.

I encourage you to start paying attention to the subtle and not-so-subtle ways your dog communicates with you, both in the home and when you’re out and about. How much attention are they giving you? Are they uber-dependent and stuck to you like glue to the point where they get anxious if you take a few steps away from them? Are they so independent that it feels like they don’t even know you’re there?

It doesn’t matter where you are, it matters that you recognize it so you can begin making changes. This is something a good trainer can help you develop.