Amanda Teixeira
Every dog needs attention from its owner. If the dog is constantly trying to get its owner’s attention, something is wrong. Here you can read what can be the causes of dogs’ attention-craving and what you should do in such a case.
If the dog barks incessantly, jumps up on people or wants to draw attention to itself by behaving differently, this can be overwhelming for the dog owner. Here you can find out why your dog is so desperate for attention and what you can do about it.
Causes of attention-craving
If the dog is constantly trying to get your attention, it may be because he wants to tell you something important. This could be for example:
- Your dog is bored.
- Your dog is under-utilized mentally and/or physically.
- Your dog suffers from separation anxiety.
- Your dog is in pain.
First of all, you should make sure that you are really giving your dog the attention it needs and that it is not lonely. You should also have physical causes ruled out by your veterinarian.
If pain and too little attention are not the causes of your dog’s need for attention, you should consider whether you offer your dog sufficient exercise and mental workload. Professional behavioral therapy can help with separation anxiety.
Learned misbehavior of the dog
It is also possible that your dog is demanding your attention through unwanted behavior because it has learned it. Pay special attention to your dog when it barks a lot, react to it when it jumps up at you and push it food when it begs, your dog will learn: This behavior gets me attention. In such situations, it is best to ignore your dog’s behavior and not respond to his attention-seeking behavior. Give him your full attention when he is quiet and not demanding attention.
It is important for every dog that their human is fully devoted to them. So make sure you really give your dog the attention it needs. This makes it easier for him to learn that in some situations, such as on a phone call, you are not fully with him for a short time.
Dogs need to be kept appropriate to their species so that they don’t get bored. Only dogs that are allowed to romp around, sniff and use their heads can be healthy and happy. Otherwise, they are under-challenged, which is often the reason they demand undue attention from their owner.