Home ► Article Library ► Health & Fitness ► Pets

Your Dog Isn’t Leaving You Alone? How Can You Manage the Behavior of an Attention-Seeking Dog?

If you have a dog that constantly seeks attention, you might face problems living with them. But you cannot scold your dog as they are like a baby to you. Therefore, you need to know the alternatives that will make your dog leave you alone for some time. You need to teach your dog to relax so that you can understand the possible causes behind their attention-seeking nature. Continue reading this article to know more.

Your Dog Won’t Leave You Alone

When you have a dog, your routine would be simple. Not only do you need to walk them but also play with them. However, remember that dogs are more active than humans. Therefore, when you’re tired and thinking of taking a nap or relaxing, your idea might be ruined completely. This is because your dog might not leave and consistently disturb you with their playful activities. If you’re being disturbed by your dog in the evening or locking him out of the living room, this article is perfect for you.

Symptoms of Attention-Seeking Dogs

You need to understand that attention-seeking dogs have numerous forms. There are multiple behaviors from the attention-seeking dog that you might find annoying. Others might be more complicated than that. Here are some common behaviors of the attention-seeking dog that many people find annoying:

Licking
Nipping
Poking
Stealing
Restlessness
Clinging
Barking

Some dogs will also poke their owners with their noses and persistently bark and lick. These actions will undoubtedly prevent you from taking a peaceful nap. Others will find alternative ways of disturbing you. They will spend their time disturbing you. Even though many owners love every action of their dogs, not everyone feels the same way.

Sometimes you will fulfill all the demands of your dog and they will still seek your attention. In such cases, you can solve the problem by focusing on the tips below.

The Clingy Dogs

Some dogs will attach themselves to their owners so much that they will follow their owners everywhere. Other dogs will relax despite the action of the family members. And they will wake only when their favorite person comes near them.

This type of behavior is dependent on the breed as well as the personality of the dog. You also need to understand the comfort zone as well as the security of the dog. The dog will become super clingy if they become unsecured. This type of dog will be upset when their favorite human leaves them alone.

Pacing and Restlessness Dogs

Sometimes the dogs cannot relax due to their hyperactive nature. As a result, they won’t let the family members relax and live in peace. They will run here and there and change their position constantly. Even though this behavior is not connected with an attention-seeking nature, it’s advised to call a vet to schedule a routine checkup. Sometimes pain or uncomfortable issues might be the primary cause behind these.

The Barking Dog

This is another important thing that needs to be discussed. Apart from the attention-seeking nature, there are might be some other causes of barking such as fear and aggression. But keep in mind that many dogs bark without any reason. However, sometimes you can address the barking issues by ignoring them completely. But if you notice that they still barking even if you’re ignoring them, make sure you sit with your dog.

Why Should You Teach the Command ‘Settle’?

The behaviors that are listed above such as barking, packing up your belongings, licking, pawing, etc. are associated with the attention-seeking behavior of dogs. These hyperactivities can be resolved without any problem when you teach your dog the ‘Settle’ command during their training process. But before you use this command, make sure the needs of your dog are met.

What is the Expectation of Humans from Dogs?

When you first adopt a dog, most of us paint a clear picture in our minds regarding how the situation will go. We imagine that the dogs will be sleeping in our lap and playing with us from to time. However, reality is very different from the imagination. Many dogs require more mental stimulation as well as exercise. You need to meet these requirements of dogs before teaching them the ‘Settle’ command.

Meet the Needs of Your Dogs

Before you include the ‘Settle’ command in the training process of the dogs, you need to consider the amount of mental stimulation and exercise your dog is receiving. You also need to determine whether it’s sufficient as per the needs of the dog. If you’re not considering 30 minutes training period with your dog every day, make sure you consider how you can change your routine.

Even if your dog has mastered the obedience training, consider different types of interactive games that will increase your bond with your dog.

Benefits of Teaching the ‘Settle’ Command

The social standards of dogs are different from humans. Therefore, your POV towards the dog’s relaxation might not prove relevant. They are like annoying guests who always want everyone to participate in games. Depending on the breed, your dog might not want to sleep or relax in the evening at all. Instead, they might want you to play with them. Even if you do want to play, you should not entertain their behavior every evening.

When you know the interesting activities and exercises of your dogs, you will be able to make your dog listen to your every command, especially the ‘settle’ command. But you need to focus on a couple of changes.

The Principles You Should Know

Most dog owners entertain the attention-seeking gestures of their dogs. As a result, this specific behavior of the dog stimulates over time. Sometimes you might assume that your dog has started showing signs of attention seeking, but you were the one reaping the seeds for weeks.

People neither want to frighten and punish their dogs nor do they know the patterns that will help them combat such situations. Fortunately, you will be able to address this behavior pattern by introducing the ‘settle’ command. If you don’t know how to stop begging dog, the ‘settle’ command will prove helpful. Here is the combination you need to know:

Make sure you provide your dog with a separate resting place
Don’t entertain the attention-seeking behavior of the dog
Reward your dog when they obey the ‘settle’ command
Restrict the access of your dog to you during the training session

As the dog will become a primary member of your family, it will always have free access to every part of the house. You just need to teach them which parts are inaccessible for them at a certain time.

Restricting Access

Humans love their dogs so much that they forget they need personal space too. Sometimes you will feel tired and need to relax in your bedroom. Comfort and relaxation will determine the other aspects of your life.

As dogs are more active than humans, you need to consider daily exercises, food, and company for them. If you feed and take a walk with your dog, you need to teach them the importance of your relaxation. This way they will behave properly. But sometimes, it’s best if you restrict the access of your dogs.

How Can You Restrict Access?

One of the most effective ways to restrict access is by using a baby gate or a dog gate. Unless your dog learns the behavioral mechanism, make sure you don’t remove the gate. You can also purchase an extendable gate barrier that will go across an open room.

If your dog is capable of jumping over the barrier, you need to lock them in a different room. But this method is unusual. Most dogs don’t jump over the gate. Even if they do, scold them a little so that they can be discouraged from continuing this behavior again.

Teach Your Dog to Settle on the Leash

If you have your dog on a leash, you will face no problem teaching them the ‘settle’ command. This way they can wander off. When you sit in your chair, make sure you hold the leash. Keep a couple of treats handy that are beyond the reach of the dog. When your dog lies down and settles, give them a treat.

But keep in mind that the dog will take a lot of time while settle for the first time. Once he understands that he will receive treats, his actions will be changed and he will become more obedient.

After you give the first treat to your dog, they will undoubtedly get up and disturb you to give them another one. You need to ignore them unless they settle. After that, they will receive another treat. In time, your dog will realize that instead of bugging you, they will get rewarded when they settle. As per Pet MD, your dog will learn quickly when they are rewarded.

Teaching your dog to settle on a leash is undoubtedly a great way to make them better behaved. However, your dog might scrabble and pawn which is impossible to ignore.

Conclusion

This is how you can manage the behavior of an attention-seeking dog. Make sure you let us know if you have any queries.