Why is My Dog So Distracted?
Getting a distracted dog to pay attention to you is far simpler than one may imagine. Modern dogs tend to be quite spoiled. As a result, they have the luxury of paying attention to just about everything else besides you. After all, you lavish them with food, love, attention, etc. Why should they pay attention to you?
If they hear you call their name, they probably assume you are trying to give them something they don't feel the need for. Unlike in years past when dogs had to hunt for their food, today's dog often has it provided for him at the snap of a finger. He does not have to go out and find food, so he is distracted by everything else around him which can take precedence over your requests for attention.
As Daniel explains:
"Your dog gets your attention, your family's attention, your friends, whatever it may be - gets to sleep in luxury. Compared to - if you take sled dogs as an example, that sleep tied up outside no matter what the weather is and they have a little house or something. And, they get fed twice a day and they don't get all that interaction that modern-day suburban or urban dogs get. And, so those dogs are hungry, right?
They're hungry for everything. They're hungry for attention. They're hungry for exercise. They're hungry for food. They're hungry for direction. They're hungry for leadership. Your dog is not and that's why your dog is distracted. Because your dog sees everything else as more valuable than whatever you're bringing to the table because you already have given your dog everything."
The goal is to keep the dog focused on you as a leader, right? If your dog does not see you as the leader, it will turn its focus elsewhere. If it does see you as the leader it will look to you for guidance. Simple.
Useful Ressources
The Primal Power of Food
How to motivate your dog using food. Learn how to use food throughout your dog’s life to get the best out of them. Become an expert in motivating your dogs!
Problem-Solving Theories
Learn how to correct dog behavior problems (including food possessiveness and aggression) in order to make your life with a dog so much easier.
Focus and Attention
The Beacon Dog Academy is a fun, interactive experience for dogs and their owners that will help you build laser-sharp attention skills in any environment.
How to Get Your Dog to Focus on You
Many people have difficulties with their dogs not paying attention to them and getting distracted by other things. This can be a complicated problem, but there are some ways that you can work on it!
How Do I Get My Dog to Like Training?
Think about it, if you don't enjoy training your dog, neither will they. To get your dog to like training, you're going to need to find ways to make it more fun!
Why is My Dog Not Interested in Food?
Is your dog not interested in food, but otherwise healthy? Then, the cause of your pup's lack of interest in your lavish meals is most likely very simple: It's not hungry!