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How Your Dog Tries to Get Your Attention: 9 Ways
10.05.2024 11:30
Dogs need human attention, like any social animal, and they try to get it in a variety of ways.
How you respond to them is part of basic dog training, where you teach your pet which ways of getting attention are appropriate and which are not.
Barking
Dogs can vocalize in a variety of ways, such as whining, growling, howling, yelping, and barking, to express their mood, request, or to get attention.
If the dog is simply bored and is trying to get your attention in this way, you need to work to ensure that this behavior does not become the norm.
Simple ways are to ignore the animal or tell it not to do it.
The best technique will depend on the dog's temperament and your relationship with him, but you must be careful not to let the behavior become a habit.
Offerings
When a dog wants to play, it may bring a toy to its owner to get attention.
This is normal, but it can be unpleasant if the dog brings in live or dead prey from the street and places it in front of the owner, such as a mouse or a bird.
There is no need to scold the dog for this. For it, bringing you the prey is a sign of respect and affection.
If you want your dog to stop doing this, don't react. This is an animal with a hunting instinct, and if you want to control its behavior, it must be done through training, not punishment.
Biting the hand
A dog starts biting in puppyhood when it is exploring itself and the world around it. It may also chew on furniture or toys. A dog may also lightly bite your hand without causing you any harm.
If you don't like it, you can train her to stop biting, but you can also just set limits so she's careful when she does it.
Chasing the tail
It is normal for puppies to chase their tails because it is one of the ways they learn about their bodies. But when your dog gets older, you need to stop doing this.
Very energetic and active dogs especially love to chase tails. This is a funny sight, but you should not reward the dog for such behavior.
It is better not to pay attention to the animal at these moments, otherwise it can develop into obsessive-compulsive disorder.
OCD is a condition where a dog experiences an irresistible urge to perform the same actions. Certain physical ailments (such as external parasites) should also be ruled out if the dog repeatedly repeats the action.
Paw touch
This way of getting attention is very easy to understand, as it is similar to the way people touch each other with their hands. Dogs communicate with each other this way from a very young age, and it is completely natural.
Mad run
Running around the apartment is a common behavior for very energetic dogs and puppies when they want to get your attention and make you play with them. Dogs invite each other to play this way: they run away so that the other dog will run after them. It is also a way for the animal to burn off excess energy.
This behavior is not necessarily problematic, but you can train your dog not to do it on command. This will help you avoid dangerous situations in some cases, such as on the road.
Licking the owner
A dog may lick you for a variety of reasons: to get attention, to check where you've been, to groom you, to show affection, and more.
Licking is an effective way to get attention, but if you find it unpleasant or don't want your pet to do it to just anyone, you can train your dog not to do it on command. Eventually, your dog will seek out other ways to communicate.
A long, attentive look
Sometimes a dog doesn't bark, doesn't bite, doesn't run... but just looks at you. If you ignore it, it won't take its eyes off you.
She will watch you do something and continue to follow your every move. This is a discreet and respectful way of waiting for you to pay attention to her.
Cry
When dogs whine and cry, it usually elicits a lot of sympathy from people, so it's very easy to start encouraging this way of getting attention.
The best thing to do in this case is to ignore the dog (only if you are sure that there is nothing urgent and serious), because if this becomes a habit, it will be very difficult to eliminate it.
When a dog tries to get your attention in some way, it is not inherently a bad thing.
However, sometimes it takes effort to establish healthy communication and meet your pet's needs without allowing him to develop compulsive behavior. As a result, you will only need one look to understand what your dog wants.
Earlier we wrote about why cats stare at people.
