_edited.png)
4 Reasons Your Dog Isn't Ignoring You
You know that moment when you call your dog to come inside, and instead of bounding toward you, they give you that look—you know the one, the sideways glance, nose in the air, like they are considering running for the hills. You can see them weighing their life choices, and let’s be honest, you are not the winning option right now.
Yeah, I can relate.
This happens with me and my sweet boy Arlo, I’ll tell him to come inside and sometimes I get that that “nah- I don’t wanna- I’d rather be a brat today” look.
Despite my exasperation ,and tossing my hands in the air while crying out “you stubborn, bull headed beastie!!” to his deaf ears, I have to pause and remind myself of a simple truth. Dog’s are actually incapable of being stubborn. I know…you’re probably thinking: oh no my dog is so stubborn he makes mules and donkeys look like people pleasers. But hear me out…
Stubbornness is defined as “having or showing determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something, especially in lieu of good arguments or reasons to do so.” It’s a very human trait, requiring a certain level of awareness, reasoning, and (let’s be honest) spite. It implies a conscious, deliberate decision to actively resist doing what’s asked with an understanding of the potential consequences of that refusal.
As much as we’d love to humanize our fur babies- they don’t have a concept of “right” or “wrong” Their canine brains aren’t wired for reasoning (or philosophical debates). Dogs lack the cognitive capacity to be stubborn, they don’t think, “I know what you want, but I’m going to disobey you on purpose just to annoy you.”
Dogs don’t process emotions and behavior with that level of intent or spite like us humans. Dogs work off of what gets them the best results/rewards.They act based on their immediate needs, motivations, and the environment around them. If they aren’t listening, it’s not because they’re giving you the dog version of the cold shoulder; nor are they staging a rebellion. Keep reading and we'll explore four reasons why your dog isn’t as hard-headed as you think.
1. They Don’t Speak Human
Dogs aren’t born with an English-to-Doggy dictionary. They don’t come pre-installed with a google translator app that automatically decodes our cues or commands.
It's a common misconception that dogs automatically understand what a verbal cue means just because we’ve said it a few times. So when we start tossing out words like "sit," "stay," or "no," it’s a bit like someone plopping you into the middle of a foreign country and enthusiastically rattling off directions in a language you’ve never heard before…total gibberish. Maybe you recognize a few words here or there, but you probably don’t know exactly what those words mean. You’d stand there, blinking in confusion—and still not know how to find the nearest bathroom…you’d be confused, maybe a bit frustrated.
That’s what it's like for your pup when they haven’t been properly taught what those sounds coming from your mouth mean ( sounds like sit, come, stay, even no). Dogs are visual learners, they’ll pick up your body language or hand signal cues way before they
associate the words to those actions. If you keep saying “sit” without associating it with the action of sitting, it’s like hitting replay on that foreign language tape and hoping they eventually understand.
Once you pair the word with the action, you’ll see the lightbulb moment—“Ah, sit means plop my butt down and get a treat! Got it.”
Pro Tip: Start teaching new behaviors with hand signals first, then add the verbal cue later. This helps them associate the behavior with the verbal word more quickly. |
2. They Are Unclear on Your Expectations
Dogs are great at lots of things. Generalizing is not one of them. Seriously, if there was a dog test for it, even Einstein’s dog would flunk out. Why? Dogs don’t automatically apply behaviors learned in one place to another. Seriously, they can sniff out the tiniest crumbs from under the couch, but ask them to Sit in a different room and it’s like asking them to do calculus…in German.
Case in point, my sweet Arlo rocks at going to his bed in our sunroom. We've practiced this so many times. I say “hop it up” and he automatically plops right on his bed- like the good boy I know. The other day, I moved his bed into the living room so he could hang out and watch tv with us…I put his bed down and gave him the “hop it up” cue he knows so well. And he just stared at me like I was from Mars. To him, the cue “hop it up” meant go lay on your bed in the sunroom when you come in from outside not that “hop it up” means go lay down on your bed no matter where said bed happens to be This is the wrong movie Mom
He wasn’t refusing to get on his bed just to spite me, he just didn't realize the rules still apply.
Pro Tip: Practice training in different settings and environments to help them generalize known behaviors. Want to know how to help your dog generalize their training? Stay tuned for our next post : How to Help Your Dog Generalize Without Losing Your Mind. |
3. They Need a Little More Motivation
Would your best friend help you move a couch just for the fun of it, with no pizza or beer on the table? (If they would, can I get their number? I need more friends like that.) Dogs are the same—they need a little motivation to make it worth their while.
Dogs are all about “What’s in it for me?” If the reward doesn’t outweigh the distraction, guess what? You’re going to get the cold shoulder. You’ve got to make listening to you more rewarding than, say, rolling in mud or barking at the neighbor’s cat.
One of Arlo’s favorite things in the world to do is hunt for bunny poop in our backyard, (ughhh- not my favorite of his pastimes, gross!) He’ll shove his nose in the grass and find all those little delightful nuggets, with the world around him fading into nothingness. He doesn’t even remember his name in these moments , and calling him inside to stop his favorite activity-oh boy. How do I become more interesting than bunny poop? You’d think that wouldn’t be too hard, but not to my sweet Arlo. Now when I call him to come inside- we have a party and run into the house he gets to sniff around for his favorite tasty (and less disgusting) treats. By focusing on what motivates him and using that to my advantage, there’s a huge difference in how he responds.
Just remember, in their world, it’s all about “What’s in it for me?” So, make sure the answer to that question is something they find irresistible!
Pro Tip: if your dog thinks that coming to you means bath time, crate time, or stopping a fun activity, they’ll pull a hard pass. (Can you blame them?) Make coming to you worth their while by continuing the fun with a favorite toy, treat,
4. They’re Overstimulated
When dogs are overstimulated, whether it’s from excitement or fear, their brains shift into "survival mode." If you've ever felt like your dog is ignoring you when they’re wound up, don’t take it personally, their brain is simply too overloaded to process what you're asking.
Have you ever tried to have a deep conversation while running from a bear? Probably not. But if you did, you’d be too focused on running for your life to pay attention to anything else. Right? Heck I might not even remember my name if a grizzly was chasing me through a forest.
Arlo hates it when people (or heaven forbid…dogs) walk by our privacy fence (or even across the street from our fence) in the backyard. He barks as loud as he can (which is loud from his 98 lb Rottweiler/ Great Pyrenees self) to protect himself from whatever unseen creature on the other side of the fence may have in mind for him. When I try to get his attention, he blatantly ignores the treat I'm waving in his face, even his favorite squeaky ball is forgotten.
Here’s what’s happening: Arlo’s brain goes right into survival mode, his body goes on high alert: heart racing, muscles tensed, pupils dilated. All his focus narrows to that “danger” on the other side of the fence. The calm, logical part of his brain—has taken a back seat. He’s not thinking; he’s reacting. His body kicks into fight/flight response with a flood of adrenaline and stress hormones like cortisol (This flight or fight response has helped animals survive for thousands of years by preparing them to either face a threat or run away from it.)
In this state, it’s tough for him to follow cues or take in any new information, (and boy does it feel like he’s a stubborn brat). But the truth is, my sweet Arlo isn’t deliberately trying to give me a hard time, he’s kind of having a hard time.
My job is to help him calm down by guiding him to a quieter space and giving him time to decompress before he can focus- then I can call him to come inside to play with his beloved ball or snack on beef liver goodies and voila- there’s my good boy running with full gusto at my Recall request!
Pro Tip: When your dog is overstimulated, create distance from the trigger. It gives them the space they need to calm down and re-engage. |
Stop Pulling Your Hair Out Over a "Stubborn" Dog!
So, is your dog really stubborn or hard headed? Most likely not! The next time your pup gives you that “I’m not listening” vibe, remember—they’re just trying to make sense of the world around them. Sometimes, they need a little extra help from their favorite human (yep, that’s you!).
If you're tired of feeling like you're speaking a different language than your dog, let us help bridge that communication gap with fun, stress-free training." Click below to schedule a FREE Discovery Call
Comments