When distracted people interact with distracted dogs, the result is inconsistent and poorly timed feedback. Connections, if made, are poorly reinforced. Frustration grows. Both sides get bored and begin to question the intelligence of the other.
What can be done?
From the beginning, dog training tools have been about conquering Attention Deficit Disorder both up and down the leash.
Oddly, two modern dog training tools, often set in opposition to each other, work in very similar ways.
One tool is a clicker, the other the e-collar remote.
The clicker's canine focusing mechanism is the promise of food.
The modern e-collar's canine focusing mechanism is an electronic tap on the shoulder.
One signal is saying "give me a little more of this."
The other is (generally) saying "give me a little less of that."
In both cases, however, what is being shaped is not just downward to the dog, but also upward to the human.
Look what happens when someone has a clicker or an e-collar remote in their hand.
Suddenly, they are focused. They are no longer flailing with their hands. They are no longer simultaneously talking and drinking while watching TV.
Instead, for at least a few minutes, the human is focused and sending just one signal to the dog rather than half a dozen.
And the signal that is being sent is both calm and assertive. You have the dog's attention, and they have yours, and you are both tuned to one channel without a lot of static.
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