Canine Behaviour Foundation Course
Module 2 - Section - 6 - Attention Seeking Behaviour
Module 2 - Section - 6 - Attention Seeking Behaviour
1. Attention Seeking Behaviour
2. Modifications
3. Attention Seeking Behaviour - Dogs Living Outside
2. Modifications
3. Attention Seeking Behaviour - Dogs Living Outside
1. Attention Seeking Behaviour
By now we are aware that dogs will repeat behaviours that work and if the owner gives attention sometimes, and not other times, then the behaviour is being further reinforced. Attention seeking behaviour comes from the owner not having put down House Rules right at the beginning and sticking to them and giving in to what the dog wants. The dog comes and asks for a head rub, the owner rubs the head, and before you know what is happening, a new habit has started of the dog demanding attention.
Additionally, because owners start off regarding some of these behaviour as ‘cute’ such as putting paw on lap for a head rub, or that their dogs are ‘clever’ because they will bark when they want food, they are constantly reinforcing them by giving in to the dog.
The trouble with Attention Seeking Behaviour, if not addressed they can really increase and the dog can actually start to demand attention. Here the dog is not just pestering, it has escalated – the person is pawed, mouthed, nipped etc. There was a past case of a Rotti that if the owner picked up the phone the dog would grab her hand and pull her away from the phone! These behaviours can start to get ugly, so the quicker the behaviour is addressed the better.
Previously we mentioned the Rotti that had gauged out a long hole in the fridge and I was called in to help with this. Why did the behaviour start? The owner thought it was cute and clever that the dog had figured out where the treats were kept when it was a pup. Because the owner kept on giving into the dog, the behaviour was constantly reinforced. The solution – in addition to some House Rules and exercises the behaviour of gauging at the fridge was to be totally ignored – it stopped within about 3 days.
What owners often do not realize is that by not taking control of the dog’s resources (including attention) they are inadvertently stressing their dogs as the owners are not fulfilling their rightful role of being in charge/head of the combined human/canine social structure.
This is especially important when it comes to dogs that are fearful – we must be seen to be in charge and to be trusted to supply all their needs, including those of protection from the perceived fear.
Many dogs that engage in attention seeking behaviour have no self-control at all, and tend to jump up and bolt through the door and appear OTT. In addition to the standard modifications with dogs like this, it is a good idea to incorporate some basic obedience exercises to be done as mentioned below.
As dogs are different what is important to them is also different and the most commonly seen attention seeking exercises are as follows:-
By now we are aware that dogs will repeat behaviours that work and if the owner gives attention sometimes, and not other times, then the behaviour is being further reinforced. Attention seeking behaviour comes from the owner not having put down House Rules right at the beginning and sticking to them and giving in to what the dog wants. The dog comes and asks for a head rub, the owner rubs the head, and before you know what is happening, a new habit has started of the dog demanding attention.
Additionally, because owners start off regarding some of these behaviour as ‘cute’ such as putting paw on lap for a head rub, or that their dogs are ‘clever’ because they will bark when they want food, they are constantly reinforcing them by giving in to the dog.
The trouble with Attention Seeking Behaviour, if not addressed they can really increase and the dog can actually start to demand attention. Here the dog is not just pestering, it has escalated – the person is pawed, mouthed, nipped etc. There was a past case of a Rotti that if the owner picked up the phone the dog would grab her hand and pull her away from the phone! These behaviours can start to get ugly, so the quicker the behaviour is addressed the better.
Previously we mentioned the Rotti that had gauged out a long hole in the fridge and I was called in to help with this. Why did the behaviour start? The owner thought it was cute and clever that the dog had figured out where the treats were kept when it was a pup. Because the owner kept on giving into the dog, the behaviour was constantly reinforced. The solution – in addition to some House Rules and exercises the behaviour of gauging at the fridge was to be totally ignored – it stopped within about 3 days.
What owners often do not realize is that by not taking control of the dog’s resources (including attention) they are inadvertently stressing their dogs as the owners are not fulfilling their rightful role of being in charge/head of the combined human/canine social structure.
This is especially important when it comes to dogs that are fearful – we must be seen to be in charge and to be trusted to supply all their needs, including those of protection from the perceived fear.
Many dogs that engage in attention seeking behaviour have no self-control at all, and tend to jump up and bolt through the door and appear OTT. In addition to the standard modifications with dogs like this, it is a good idea to incorporate some basic obedience exercises to be done as mentioned below.
As dogs are different what is important to them is also different and the most commonly seen attention seeking exercises are as follows:-
- Nudging for attention
- Putting head on lap for a stroke
- Bringing a ball /toy to be played with and insisting that owner plays
- Constantly barking or demanding to be let outside, fed, walked etc.
- Barking/whining in general for attention
- Sitting on owners foot
- Leaning on owner
- Jumping on owners lap
- Rolling over to have tummy rubbed
- Begging/whining to be picked up
- Begging for food
- Refusal to give up a toy that is brought to be thrown (oh yes!) What happens here – owner talks, shouts, chases dog etc – a wonderful game has been started!
- Barking/whining while owner is on the phone.
- Mouthing for attention, sometimes even nipping if not received.
- Jumping up (being reinforced)
- Stealing objects and running away with them. I have just dealt with a Yorki that constantly stole articles off the coffee table, favourite being TV remote and ran away.
- Physical responses – an example of this is a dog that is fearful and has learnt that if it shivers or shakes in certain situations it will always receive attention. Another example is a JR/Foxi cross we had years ago that underwent major surgery. He discovered that if he suddenly stopped and lifted his paw I would come running to see if he was ok!
- Some dogs that have owners that hate it when they lick them, will start to lick themselves noisily when they are ignored – what happens here? The owner gives the attention it wants by telling them to stop – who says dogs are not clever!
- Another one that owners don’t always realize is the dog that refuses to eat although there is nothing physically wrong with it. What happens? Owner feels sorry for the dog and provides a tasty morsel which the dog then eats. What has happened here – the dog is nicely training the owner to supply what it wants!
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2. Modifications
Ensure that dogs needs are being met such as walks, social interaction with their humans, toys etc.
When the dog has an understanding of the NRM for other behaviours, once the attention seeking behaviour has reduced or become extinct, the owner can simply use the NRM in the future, or keep to the ‘away’ cue if this works better.
Remember that when dogs are stressed they tend to go back to old behaviours, so even though the attention seeking behaviour may have been extinguished, in times of stress it may appear again – the owner ignores the behaviour and praises other good behaviour.
Additionally dogs are absolute opportunists. They will stop a behaviour and you think all is going well, then suddenly they will start again after a few days. This could be an extinction burst, which is the dog seeing if the behaviour will gain it attention again.
Ensure that dogs needs are being met such as walks, social interaction with their humans, toys etc.
- House Rules: - Ignoring, NRM (not for the unacceptable behaviours), attention on owners terms or not at all. Ignoring being the most important aspect – each and every time the owner gives in and pays attention / does what the dog wants – the behaviour is just reinforced – ignoring the behaviour is a crucial part of the modifications. If you feel that owner and dog may not cope with full House Rules being brought in, then stagger them starting with the most important one which is Attention on Your Terms. To remind yourself of the exceptions to House Rules, view this video again.
- It is very important with attention seeking/demanding attention that it is done in silence until the behaviour has been completely changed, otherwise the talking/interacting with the dog will be perceived as attention, so as above do not bring in the NRM for any attention seeking behaviours.
- With attention seeking behaviour, it is a good idea to include the ‘away’ cue once the dog has figured out that attention will not be given, rather than the NRM. What the owner does initially is the same as the Away exercise between dogs - owner just gently pushes the dog away. Once the dog has a full understanding, the the owner can just point away from where the dog is and say ‘away’ in a strong voice. If the dog does not comply, owner pulls the dog away by the collar to an area further away. This often works better than the NRM initially as the attention given is negative. However, this is only to be used AFTER the exercise has been done in silence and the dog has changed the demanding behaviour.
- Work to earn – work to earn, work to earn! Unless there are other aspects of behaviour to be dealt with such as the Recall, then the sit cue can be used with the dog working for its daily allowance of food. If the dog demands attention from one person in particular, then the Work to Earn can be done by other members in the family. This will raise the other members in the combined human /canine social structure and lessen the dog’s dependency on the other family member.
- Often when changing this behaviour the dog initially becomes slightly more demanding (early extinction burst) – to help with this increase walks for a few days and also to supply good quality chew toys – preferably with treats inside.
- Teach the ‘wait’ exercise and get owner to gradually build this into all aspects such as waiting for food, waiting at the door, sitting politely and waiting for collar and lead to be put on.
- Owner to really praise the behaviour they do like and to still give the dog the attention it needs, but on the owner’s terms, not the dogs.
- If the attention seeking behaviour is aimed towards only one person in the home, then other people to take over as much of the daily interactions with the dog as possible and owner to have as little as possible to do with the dog – however, the dog is NOT totally ignored, rather gradually cut down the amount the owner does with the dog and the time they spend with the dog.
- If the behaviour does become excessive, the owner can perform a Reserve Time Out and walk out the room quickly and with purpose, shutting the door behind them, even banging it to show their displeasure. As with the Time Out, the owner stands there for 5 - 15 seconds initially and then walks back into the room to the same location where the behaviour that caused the Time Out was performed. As mentioned before this is not given with standard modifications, only if the behaviour is extreme. Where the time period is concerned start 5 - 15 seconds and increase in 5 second segment if it has to be repeated.
When the dog has an understanding of the NRM for other behaviours, once the attention seeking behaviour has reduced or become extinct, the owner can simply use the NRM in the future, or keep to the ‘away’ cue if this works better.
Remember that when dogs are stressed they tend to go back to old behaviours, so even though the attention seeking behaviour may have been extinguished, in times of stress it may appear again – the owner ignores the behaviour and praises other good behaviour.
Additionally dogs are absolute opportunists. They will stop a behaviour and you think all is going well, then suddenly they will start again after a few days. This could be an extinction burst, which is the dog seeing if the behaviour will gain it attention again.
3. Attention Seeking Behaviour - Dogs Living Outside
Dogs being alone outside is not the ideal situation for any dog at all based on what social animals they are, but when the owner does come home and the dog is not allowed inside, then the situation tends to become worse. Dogs are very social animals and when we bring them into our homes, we create the human/canine social structure and they don’t just ‘like’ to be with us, they ‘need’ to be with us.
There are still many owners that believe that dogs only belong outside and it is not our job to judge them, rather to educate them as to why the behaviours they are complaining about are happening, and to show them a way to reduce the dog’s current behavioural concern and how the dog can be incorporated into the family with minimum fuss.
The behaviours a dog like this exhibit tend to be more extreme than the dog kept in the home and separation anxiety can also develop which brings with it destructive behaviour as well. Studies done on dogs left alone have shown that they can indeed become very depressed. Some examples in addition to the standard attention seeking behaviour are:
4. Modifications
In addition to below, this is where I will bring in Lead Attachment. The lead is put on the dog and attached to a belt around your own (or the owner’s waist), or a double clipped lead is used, with one part around owner’s waist and the other attached to the collar. Care has to be taken that the dog will not pull the owner over however!
If the dog tries to jump up and down and act like a hooligan, simple ‘park’ the dog by putting your foot on the lead in a way that the dog can sit, stand and lie easily, but cannot do any more. After a few practice sessions outside where the dog will walk quietly by the owners side, then the time comes to go and try inside. What is very important in this exercise is that there is no talking or attention given to the dog at all - this is based on the dog following the leader.
Teach the dog to sit quietly when lead is attached is your first step. If the dog is jumping around, jumping into owners face etc, the exercise is doomed to failure before you begin.
As a further step here, you can request a Sit from the dog each and every time the owner stops.
When the dog is proficient in this exercise, the owner can start to sit down still with the dog attached. You can even bring in a chew toy for dog to get stuck into while lying quietly next to owner on the floor.
This does take a bit of practice, but is the quickest and easiest way for the dog to be brought into the family and under control. It has been shown repeatedly that even if the dog is only allowed into the kitchen on a regular basis, the previous behaviour improves.
Dogs being alone outside is not the ideal situation for any dog at all based on what social animals they are, but when the owner does come home and the dog is not allowed inside, then the situation tends to become worse. Dogs are very social animals and when we bring them into our homes, we create the human/canine social structure and they don’t just ‘like’ to be with us, they ‘need’ to be with us.
There are still many owners that believe that dogs only belong outside and it is not our job to judge them, rather to educate them as to why the behaviours they are complaining about are happening, and to show them a way to reduce the dog’s current behavioural concern and how the dog can be incorporated into the family with minimum fuss.
The behaviours a dog like this exhibit tend to be more extreme than the dog kept in the home and separation anxiety can also develop which brings with it destructive behaviour as well. Studies done on dogs left alone have shown that they can indeed become very depressed. Some examples in addition to the standard attention seeking behaviour are:
- Jumping up, spinning etc. when owner comes outside
- Incessant barking
- Digging
- Pinching washing of the wash line
- Barking at owner and even nipping of ankles when people do come outside.
- Jumping and scratching at windows and doors.
- Emptying the dustbin
- Running up and down the fence barking if dogs are next door or chasing birds.
4. Modifications
- To explain to owner exactly why the dog is engaging in this without judging them at all. Very often when owners realize how unhappy the dog is, they are willing to make changes.
- In addition to increasing social contact ensure the dog’s needs are being met.
- The very first step here is to try and get the owner to have the dog inside, even if just for ten minutes a day. You often find that the owner has tried this previously, but because the dog is just so OTT, the attempts fail miserably.
In addition to below, this is where I will bring in Lead Attachment. The lead is put on the dog and attached to a belt around your own (or the owner’s waist), or a double clipped lead is used, with one part around owner’s waist and the other attached to the collar. Care has to be taken that the dog will not pull the owner over however!
If the dog tries to jump up and down and act like a hooligan, simple ‘park’ the dog by putting your foot on the lead in a way that the dog can sit, stand and lie easily, but cannot do any more. After a few practice sessions outside where the dog will walk quietly by the owners side, then the time comes to go and try inside. What is very important in this exercise is that there is no talking or attention given to the dog at all - this is based on the dog following the leader.
Teach the dog to sit quietly when lead is attached is your first step. If the dog is jumping around, jumping into owners face etc, the exercise is doomed to failure before you begin.
As a further step here, you can request a Sit from the dog each and every time the owner stops.
When the dog is proficient in this exercise, the owner can start to sit down still with the dog attached. You can even bring in a chew toy for dog to get stuck into while lying quietly next to owner on the floor.
This does take a bit of practice, but is the quickest and easiest way for the dog to be brought into the family and under control. It has been shown repeatedly that even if the dog is only allowed into the kitchen on a regular basis, the previous behaviour improves.
- Owner to feed dog outside first of all using the work to earn where the dog is taught to sit each and every time approaches the owner. Once successful outside to be done in the home while dog is still on lead, and then eventually off lead. Use the dog’s daily rations during the day where possible.
- Daily stimulation by way of stuffed chew toys etc. If the dog is a digger, then a digging pit is made. Something as simple as hanging a scooter tyre from a tree and teaching the dog to play with it can provide hours of entertainment for the dog.
- Where a dog like this is barking, nipping etc when owner handing washing, until the above is in order, it is often better for the owner to toss the dog a nice large sized femur bone to keep the dog entertained while owner busy. Additionally, owner can put a few drops of pure Citronella oil on their ankles or where ever dog is trying to nip. Until the basic exercises have been done, the odds are that the dog will continue the behaviour and even ignoring the behaviour the dog is exhibiting in a situation like this often does not work – the dog just tries harder to get attention.
- Further social interaction - the owner to spend as much time outside with the dog as possible.
- Walks, especially daily walks. Just these will make such a difference in the dog’s life.
- Obedience exercises to teach are the sit, down and definitely the wait exercise.