Attention Hungry Hounds

Attention seeking is one of the most annoying phrases I hear as a dog behaviourist. 

When conjuring up images of attention seeking behaviour we often think of dogs barking, mouthing, pacing , stealing, whining. 

These behaviours can seem deliberately done to get us to respond to the dogs behaviour. But id say I can count on one hand the number of dogs I've seen in 14 years who truly are doing this behaviour with attention of the owner at the root of the cause. 

Behaviours such as these are often symptoms of a bigger issue, and when delving deeper it will become obvious there is more going on with these dogs than meets the eye. I've lived with dogs like this, and I've done all the old school advice of “ignore them”, which we know by now doesn't work because it's not attention seeking. 

These behaviours are often accompanied by dogs who struggle to settle, are over aroused or reactive on walks and may be showing signs of pain or digestive issues too. 

You cannot solve a feeling of “unsettled” with place training, ignoring or shouting. You have to address the underlying cause. Whether this is pain , over stimulation, under stimulation, a “stress routine”. 

For me a stress routine is when the day builds up to a specific time when the dog has learned its that time to do the problem/ “attention seeking” behaviour. It's possibly not that the dog is getting anything of stress relief from the behaviour anymore, it's just habit. They know perhaps that after their walk, then their Kong it's “stress out time”...which is when we see all those stress behaviours build up. 

When dogs are in this frame of mind, where they are stressed and wound up, they can't learn much. They aren't thinking, just doing. So how we respond doesn't always make a big difference. This is where we have to try and change that routine to reduce those problems from occuring and identify triggers that may be causing overall stress. 

Can you change active vs calm times? Can you switch your dog to have more mental and physical activity at a different time of day to when they are performing their stress routine? Then can you pre emptively change what they are offered at stress routine time? 

Can you pop them behind a gate / crate with a calming chew / Kong before they perform their stress routine and leave them to nap?

Many of my clients dogs are very lucky their owners can recognize their individual reasons for the behaviour! It may be too much stimulation, abrupt change of routine , too much food, not enough food! 

It's very often teen dogs where we are discovering what they Need and how we can set them up for success. 

Very often when we outright stand there attempting to ignore, all that happens is the rehearse that behavior with you. So try removing yourself if they continue, leave the room or remove them. 

A dog is not “calm” by sending them to their bed, which is why this doesn't often work too. They may lay down, but they will often repeat the same behavior the next day as we've not addressed the routine or the why. And I've watched Arthur lay whining on his mat many a times pretending to be “calm”.  

Consider what changes may need to be made to reduce your dogs overall stress and how you can change their routine. 

Very often it can be as simple as putting up window film if they're a frequent barker, or just adding in an extra bit of training or calming activity. Maybe even adding a long line walk instead of a short lead trot around the town. 

People often think joint pain and gut pain wouldn't cause issues that create MORE movement. They assume this means the dog is not in pain if they are pacing or jumping up. However very often dogs who are restless maybe trying to distract themselves from pain or discomfort. It isn't unlike humans! 

As a human with chronic joint pain and stomach pain, I know if I'm active I'm a bit distracted. Even if it's reading a book or sat working on my laptop. Pain still exists but it's less of a focus. When I am just resting it is a bigger focus as there is no distraction. It's the same for dogs. Many dogs may struggle more when they are meant to rest , due to a physical reason. 

So much is about getting to know your dog and what they need and if you need support contact a behaviourist who can help you understand and provide solutions. 

If you suspect digestive disorders, go and see your vet. If you suspect pain, go and see your vet then get a referral to a physio who can examine your dog physically in a less stressful environment. 

Whippet Wonders offers specialist training and behaviour support worldwide. Email [email protected] for enquiries.