| How attention seeking is your dog? Find out the | | | | • Ensure that your dog has plenty to occupy |
| best ways to deal with a dog that likes to be | | | | him, mentally and physically. |
| noticed that eventually can lead to learning | | | | • For short periods of time each day, ignore |
| unwanted behavior. | | | | your dog totally. Remember, ignoring means do |
| In a dog’s mind, any attention is better than | | | | not look at, talk to or touch him. If your dog is |
| none. Therefore, although they may prefer | | | | doing something that you cannot ignore, such as |
| pleasant, positive attention, negative attention is | | | | jumping on your knee, either gently move him off |
| better than being ignored. If sitting quietly results | | | | with no attention, or get up and walk out of the |
| in no attention, but barking results in being told to | | | | room, closing the door on him briefly. |
| shut up, many dogs will choose to bark. When we | | | | How to deal with an attention seeking dog: |
| look at the situation from the dog’s point of | | | | • Look at what you are doing. Have you |
| view, we can see that it is not surprising that | | | | inadvertently rewarded the dog for doing this? |
| they often learn behaviors we do not want. | | | | • Consider how you can change your reaction |
| Possible causes for this behavior: | | | | so that your dog gets what he wants — your |
| Any unwanted behavior, including barking, jumping | | | | attention for doing what you want. |
| up, running around, pawing and stealing objects, | | | | • If this does not work, or you are unsure |
| can be caused by the dog learning that this is a | | | | about what you should be doing, seek expert |
| good way of getting immediate attention. | | | | advice. |
| Prevention of this behavior: | | | | This problem is especially seen in: |
| • Reward good behavior. | | | | • Clever, affectionate dogs who love their |
| • Ignore unwanted behavior. | | | | owners. |
| • It must be in the dog’s best interests to | | | | • Opportunistic dogs. |
| behave in the right way. | | | | |