Why is my Dog Ignoring Me

By DANIEL STEVEN

So your dog is ignoring you and you don't like that. Nobody likes being ignored. It even makes some people very angry. They are the ones that tend to get ignored even more as a result. It's quite common for dogs to ignore commands. Often owners give dogs very few reasons to listen and a lot of reasons not to. A typical scenario might go something like this:



An owner is calling to their dog to "come," the dog ignores them; they call louder and with more venom; the dog continues ignoring them; they start marching angrily toward the dog, clenching their teeth with all the determination of someone not willing to tolerate this degree of disrespect (especially in public); the dog begins to crawl reluctantly toward the owner, knowing their number is up; finally, the owner takes the dog forcefully by the collar, maybe even throws in a smack or two for good measure, and issues another reminder of who the boss is around here.



Words cannot convey how backwards this is!



This "technique" may eventually get a result, but it obviously goes about doing it in all the wrong way. In the short term, it stresses out your dog (which is to say nothing about the potential harm from physical punishment, which I assume does not need to be said to anyone subscribing to a dog training newsletter series). In the long term, this form of discipline establishes a relationship based on fear and threats, rather than a healthy serving of respect.



Your dog needs a leader, and needs to be able to recognize and respond to what we call "commands." But that doesn't mean that you should be "ordering" your dog around. We create short, simple, and direct "commands" for dogs because dogs don't speak English, not because they love to be ordered around in this way. Even though you need to be the top dog, you don't have to make everything sound like a threat to establish your position in the hierarchy. If everything sounds like a threat, you'll get nowhere fast.



We like to say that a dog disobeys commands mostly for one of two reasons:


1) They don't understand you.


Because dogs are responding more to your tone than the actual words you are using, if your tone contradicts your command, you may not be giving your dog a clear idea of what you want him to do.



For example, let's say you have a dog named Bob that jumps up on you all the time. If you say "Get Down Bob, get down" while at the same giggling and pushing him gently, almost playfully away, you have just communicated to Bob the following: "Get down" equals "this game is fun, let's keep playing."



I see this mistake ALL of the time with dog owners.



Another related mistake is the practice of asking a dog to do something rather than telling. So, if you say, "Bob, come here" in way that sounds more like "Could you please maybe come here please??? Then you are effectively giving Bob a choice. So tell Bob to come. You don't have to yell or demand, just make it clear that you mean business.



Also, make sure your commands are simple enough. If you are blessed with a dog who understands "Bob, bring me a beer from the fridge," then you don't have to worry too much about this one. Most of us, however, do. Keep your commands short and simple. Make sure they don't sound too alike.



Lastly, it is always much better to pair hand signals with your verbal commands. In the first part of this course on problem jumping, I talked about using a simple extended hand gesture to tell your dog to "stop" before jumping up on you. My adult dogs are all to the point where I mostly use my voice when I want to "talk" to them. But when I want them to DO something, I can make eye contact and use a hand signal to get them to come, sit, lie down, get in the car, go inside or outside, wait at the curb, etc. Ideally, you'll get to this point as well, but you need to establish those hand signals, and use them.



If you've worked through all of these possibilities and your dog still does not seem to understand you, then you likely need more training. For older dogs, there is the added possibility that the hearing is going, so do consider that if it applies. It's another case where hand signals can go a long way.



2) They are ignoring you.


When your dog ignores commands, it means they understand what you want them to do but are deciding not to do it.



But, you ask, how can you tell? How can you tell if your dog is in fact understanding the exchange but has no intention of obeying?



The answer depends a lot on the body language of your dog. If they are showing signs of fear when you are giving training commands (submissive posturing, avoiding eye contact, ears back, tail tucked), then it is more likely that they don't understand. In these cases, owners can make the situation worse by being more forceful. By contrast, if your dog is posturing confidently, and they do not appear stressed, then it is more likely that they have opted not to listen. They may even be defiant - making direct eye contact, even barking at you, and running away when you approach.



This suggests a dominance issue. You will have to take active steps to establish yourself as the top dog, in addition to being a fun person to play with. But there are also a few immediate steps you can take to have more success with a stubborn mutt. Let's return to that all too common scenario of a wayward dog and the heard but unheeded command to "come."



Always:



• use a positive, happy, even excited tone of voice.
• try squatting down when calling. Open your arms as if to suggest an embrace or praise when they arrive.
• if you can, try walking the opposite way. This forces your dog to make a decision: Stay and get left, or go home with you and get dinner.
• Praise your dog whenever they come, no matter how long it takes.
• Praise your dog when they come to you without being asked. Create an environment in which they absolutely love coming over to you.



Never:



• chase after a dog that won't come, unless safety is an issue.
• call your dog to you to reprimand them.
• call your dog over for something they clearly do not enjoy (getting their nails clipped, taking a bath, etc.).



One final word of advice: if you are still struggling with your position as leader of the pack, I highly recommend naming your next dog "Boss"… "Come here Boss!" "Sit down, Boss!" "Go fetch Boss!" It's a most empowering remedy I assure you!



To your dog success training

How To Deal With A Jumping Problem?

Do you accept jumping from your dog when you play with him yet you do not allow such behaviour from him when you are all dressed up for work?

In this scenario, we are actually confusing our dogs and may even cause anxiety in them.


Always remember that jumping is a natural behaviour for a dog. Hence it is impossible to eliminate or correct such behaviour within a short period of time.

In dealing with this problem, we have to be consistent in our message to our dog that such behaviour is unacceptable.

To deal with this problem, always remember:

Avoid rough games.
Have toys for playing fetch with him and treats at hand to re-direct the dog’s attention during games.
If need be, use a leash during game.
When he jumps, simply say ‘No’ and gently tugs the leash
Holds the dog’s face and body away from you until he calms down and stops jumping
Then allows him to approach you again
Praise him when he approaches you WITHOUT jumping
Avoid excitable greetings.
Always greet and interact with the dog calmly and gently.
Teach him to sit as a way of greeting. Remember to Praise and Reward him for greeting you in the correct way.
To correct the dog’s jumping behaviour, combine both positive re-enforcement (praise and reward) and negative re-enforcement by letting him experience negative consequences (punishment) for jumping:

Method 1 – Losing his playmate

When he jumps, turn away and immediately stop all interaction with him
Do not touch him with your hand or look down at him as he may think that his jumping behaviour as acceptable
When he tries other methods such as sitting or fetching his toys to get your attention, praise him immediately and calmly so as not to excite and encourage the dog to jump.
If jumping does NOT stop at this time, walk away from him, which may mean leaving the room and not allowing the dog to follow you.
After two to three minutes, return to the room. Your dog should greet you in a calmer manner.
Method 2 – Using Physical Correction

Say ‘No’ immediately when the dog jumps.
Gently tugs the leash on the dog in a downward motion; or
Squirting the dog with water though some dogs love such action
Sit the dog and praise him for doing so
To train your dog to properly greet your guests at the front door:

Keep a spare leash or collar by the front door
When a guest arrives, immediately put the dog on leash
Put the dog in a sit-and-stay position by the front door
Invite the guest in
If the dog jumps on guest, say ‘No’, gently tug the leash to pull him off the guest, put him in his sit position again and praise him
Remember to have plenty of daily practices at the front door with the dog when there are no visitors. Open and close the door often enough for your dog to get used to the action. Then proceed to knocking at the front door and ringing the bell while keeping your dog in a sit-stay position all the while.

Such practices will help the dog to reduce his jumping, lessen his excitement and excessive barking at the front door.



And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!



You Can Do It!
To your success in dog training

How To Deal With A Nipping or Mouthing Problem?

In dealing with the problem of a nipping or mouthing dog/puppy, it is important to remember that it is a dog’s natural behaviour to nip. Hence it is unrealistic to expect such behaviour will be corrected within a few training sessions or totally eliminated overnight. However with consistency, patient and practice, such behaviour can be corrected over time.

Ways to curb nipping behaviour in a dog/puppy:

Avoid rough games such as play-slapping, wrestling, tug-of-war, etc
Avoid vigorous petting, especially around the face. Always pet the dog gently and keeps the hand slow.
Avoid playing with the dog using your hands as he may treat your hands as his toys. Keep several toys and treats at hand for the dog to focus on.
Give plenty of exercise, such as fetching games, hide-and-seek, etc to burn off the energy in him; especially before any petting or interaction as a tired dog or puppy is not likely to nip.
What to do when your dog/puppy nips you:

Method 1

Freeze immediately.

After freezing, say ‘Off’ or ‘No’ in a sharp tone but not to yell or shout.
At this time, the dog will take his mouth away, back away and/or look at you. At this point, praise him gently and calmly.
If he resumes his nipping, walk away from him.
After several minutes have passed, approach and resume the activity with him as long as he does NOT nip again.
Remember: Never allow or continue any activity with a nipping dog/puppy no matter how small he is or whether the bite hurts.

Method 2

This method can be used when the dog does not stop his nipping when you freeze:

Spray an ‘anti-chewing’ spray in the dog’s mouth once. The spray has a bitter taste and the dog will normally dislike such taste.
Spray it on your hands, feet and clothes before interacting with the dog.
Method 3

Put the dog on a leash (use a chain-link leash if he tends to bite the leash) or head collar before interacting with him.
Say ‘No’ when he nips and gently tug the leash.
Hold the dog’s head away from your body until the dog calms down.
Slowly put our hands or feet back toward the dog’s mouth. NO fast movement.
Praise him gently when he only sniffs or nuzzles as this is appropriate greeting gestures of a dog.




And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!



You Can Do It!
To yout dog training success

Train Your Dog to Form a Good Eating Manner

It is the daily functional training subject to train dog to form a good eating manner. This is not difficult to train it from eating by its instinct to eating slowly. Repeat several times you'll succeed.


Don't feed it on the dining table,don't feed it on the floor


Don't give it food even if your dog is drooling around the dining table. Under this condition, you can scold it. If you really want to feed it, you must show it the place at which it usually eats. Never feed it on the dining table directly.

To Your Training Success

Easy Dog Training Techniques Stop Your Dog's Behavior Problem

Along with deciding to adopt a dog or puppy into your home comes the equally serious choice of dog training methods and techniques to use as well as a commitment to the dog's requirements for food, housing, exercise, health care, and grooming. Dogs should have a loving, stable, and structured environment in order to develop into loyal, talented, and trusting members of the family. Some feel that enough love and attention will solve any behavior problem, but that is not the case. It involves the use of proper dog training techniques, equipment and supplies, and above all - patience and consistency.

To your Dog Training Success

How To Train Your Dog

Welcome to this blog just follow it and you will learn how to train your dog.
To your dog training success