It’s a heart-wrenching situation when your dog ignores you, it can be a sign that your dog might need training. However, don’t feel envious of other pet parents, who leisurely enjoy playing time with their dogs. If you wonder  “why my dog ignores me when I call its name”, read further. There may be a few reasons why your dog behaves that way which can be resolved to make you your pet’s favorite again. 

It is not a walk in the park to win your dog’s trust. It takes a lot of commitment and sacrifice at your end and some professional training for your dog to make them a loyal pet. 

If your dog starts ignoring you outside or inside, it could be for several reasons. The underlying cause can vary depending on the symptoms and situations that can go hand-in-hand with their seemingly lack of attention. 

For example, dogs sometimes ignore you when dealing with a behavioral problem or conditioned response. Still, it may also signify that your furry friend is not feeling well due to an infection or illness.

Alternatively, suppose a medical issue is not the reason. In that case, you will need to look closely at your attitude, habits, ts, and practices which might be triggering to your child.

Your dog needs training

Age and situation-appropriate training are necessary to make your dog understand the commands. Whether you are at an initial bonding stage or have been together for long, if your dog ignores commands, it might need more training.

As you and your other family members are, every dog is different in its way. A dog may require more training for a particular behavior trait or command. It’s totally normal. If you try to work out things by thinking that every dog will require the same time to understand and follow, then you’re being completely unreasonable. 

Though early training can determine how well dogs listen to their owners, however, that won’t necessarily mean their level of attention is consistent. To improve your dog’s response and communication skills, you might have to go back to the basics and reconsider some of the things you taught your dog when they were a puppy. For example, you may encounter behavior problems with your pet late in their life that you weren’t aware existed because they never exhibited them before.

And if you want your dog to get the finest training throughout their life, then we are the best at it. Our staff at Buckaroos 360 are experts at training puppies and dogs. So be assured that your pet is in good hands. 

You expect a lot

As mentioned earlier, your dog may require more training for learning a specific command and less for another. No two dogs are similar and need their own space and time to adapt and learn new things. Expecting your dog to respond to your commands immediately and not disappoint you ever is absurd.

Your puppy is not listening to your commands because you are making them do too many things. Take a step back and let them relax till they feel calm and rejuvenated to learn and be trained again.

Lack of Communication

Your dog may ignore you outside because they can’t make out your commands. As a result, they are unable to understand what you need from them, and over time if it prevails, they start rejecting and ignoring. 

Changing your commands frequently, using new words, or not being consistent with the training will not teach your dog the value of accomplishing a task.

It would work best if you were more understanding and patient rather than expecting the opposite. What your dog says with their body language is crucial for a pet parent to understand. This will help you train your dog better and produce fruitful results. Be persistent and steady when teaching them to develop better communication.

Dogs Do What’s Rewarding! 

Typically, with reinforcement comes reward. In this context, you would reward your dog by offering them a treat for times when they perform the trick correctly, causing you to praise your pet. After that, you could slowly reduce the number of treats but maintain the same level of praise. This way, you won’t upset your dog and derive them from ignoring you. 

If you’re not giving your dog any treats or praises regularly, they will eventually stop listening to your commands. Also, make sure the treats are their favorites. Homemade jerky and cool summertime frozen treats work magnificently. You can even refer to our blogs for some amazing recipes!! 

Dogs Can Hold Grudges

We all see our dogs as these fluffy, adorable, and innocent creatures. Perhaps they are, but there’s also a part of them as animals and living beings that, if not handled properly, can develop into complex personalities. In addition, they possess the cognitive and emotional capacity to feel negative emotions. 

They can feel hurt and can hate other things or even us humans. They can even hold grudges against things that may have been done to them. This can provoke various emotions. If we don’t take care of our pets and give them ample attention, we should be ready to expect that they will remember it and show it by avoiding us.

Dog’s Medical Condition

Suppose you are in a situation where you ask yourself- “Why is my dog suddenly ignoring me“. In that case, their health might also need some consideration. 

Dogs are more likely to get ear infections because of the shape and length of their ear canal. If you notice changes in your dog’s behavior and find them scratching their ears or shaking their head frequently, those could be signs of an infection. 

Illnesses often make dogs irritated with their human owners, and they may act out aggressively or be ignorant. A trip to the vet is advised at such times as antibiotics, and other medications can help your dog recover quickly.

Some senior dogs may suffer a hearing impairment with a damaged eardrum. It might develop gradually so that the ignoring will proceed from sometimes to most of the time. 

Your Dog is Spoiled

I know how easy it is to let your dog take the lead in everything because they’re cute and fluffy and have those big puppy eyes. But being a dog parent also means knowing when it’s time to put your pet in their place and train them how you want them to behave with others. They may sometimes in the future display spoiled dog behavior. You must set certain boundaries and discipline them to make them listen to you. 

If you realize that your dog is ignoring you, then it might be time to ask yourself how that behavior got reinforced. And the answer might be your submission to futile demands and a lot of pampering. 

Giving them treats to grab their attention and let them know that bonding and giving attention is the rightful behavior. Practice this regularly to get great results. Again, it would be helpful if you behave firmly during their behavioral training. It’s crucial for their well-being as well as yours. But again, feeding them lovely treats for an effective response will also school them better. 

It’s a balance between the two that you need to work out and maintain over the years.

To Sum It Up

It may not be straightforward to determine why your dog is ignoring you when you call its name? However, giving them just good treats or some of your time is not enough. It takes much more dedication, training, persistence, and your undivided love and cares to bridge the communication gap. Once your pet dogs start trusting you, it is even more critical to maintain the trust and commit a reasonable amount of time in your life to them. 

Just give attention to your fluff and give them warm hugs whenever they need it!!