Attention-seeking behaviour
Does your dog sit next to you on the couch and paw you for attention? What about incessant begging when you are eating? Do you reach for the earplugs before going to the park to play fetch with your dog? Are quiet, enjoyable phone conversations with friends a thing of the past since Fluffy arrived? Doesn't it seem uncanny that every time you have guests over or are in a rush to leave, your dog chooses that moment to drag your underwear around the living room? These are all forms of attention-seeking behaviour and believe it or not, all are actions that have essentially been taught to your dog. Dogs learn how to behave through owner responses. In an attention-seeking dog, any owner feedback at all, which includes a reprimand or even eye contact, actually tends to reinforce the behaviour rather than eradicate it. Dogs learn what actions they have to take to invoke a response from their owners, so if we pay attention to attention-seeking behaviour, we actually increase the likelihood that that certain behaviour will increase, not decrease. In order to alleviate undesirable behaviour in our dogs, we need to learn how our responses actually reward and encourage this attention seeking behaviour.
Barking while on the phone
Incessant barking while the owner is on the phone is a common complaint and is easy to see why the dog continues even after numerous verbal reprimands. Since the barking invokes the owner’s attention, it achieves results. If the barking did not invoke a response in the first place, the dog would not have learned to bark incessantly when its owner was on the phone. In attention-seeking behaviour, dogs do not differentiate between positive attention and negative attention. The solution to a barking dog while on the phone is the opposite of what most owners do: rather than reprimand, completely ignore the dog. That is easier said than done, but it works. Pay attention to the quietness and that is what you will get, pay attention to the barking and that is what you will get.
Barking and fetch
Barking when playing fetch is another example of rewarding or “marking” undesirable behaviour. By throwing the ball when the dog is barking, the owner is teaching the dog that barking is the stimulus that causes the ball to be thrown. To change this, the owner should only throw the ball when the dog is quiet. How the heck do you achieve that most owners ask? Easy, when the barking starts, freeze mid stride and make no eye contact with the dog. In confusion over their owners’ different behaviour, dogs will always stop barking and when that happens the owner should smile and throw the ball. This will mark that quietness will get the ball thrown, barking gets the dog nothing.
Begging for attention
The protocol for food begging, pawing for attention, acting up when guests are over and/or when you are getting ready to leave the house is the same as above: completely ignore the dog when it is exhibiting this undesirable behaviour. Do not give chase to the dog when it grabs your underwear and parades it around the living room - that is exactly what your dog is expecting and wants. If you completely ignore your dog when he is running around with your undergarments, he will quickly realize that it is not fun playing the “chase me” game alone and will stop.
Some final notes about attention-seeking behaviour: with most dogs, once you stop rewarding a behaviour that is well established, the dog’s behaviour actually initially gets worse before it gets better. This is known as an “extinction burst.” It’s a fancy way of explaining that your dog will test to the limits the behaviour that has worked in the past to see if he can make the reward (your attention) appear again. As well, it is also important to note that not all undesirable behaviour is attention seeking in nature. If you have not taken the time to teach your dog basic obedience and manners, your dog may be acting up as he simply does not know any better. An obedience class can go a long way in bridging the communication gap between dog owners and dogs.
Shelley Smith is a Certified Master Dog Trainer with an educational background in psychology. She has been training dogs and their owners for over 12 years. Shelley's training combines counter conditioning and positive reinforcements. She currently lives with three dogs: two German Shepherds (one a rescue) and a mutt with weight issues. To contact Shelley, visit www.dogtrainershelley.ca or call 778-836-3647.
Drool-worthy events . . .
Pooch patio party
Uptown Dawg, 2803 Murray St., in Port Moody, is hosting a Pooch Patio every Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. (weather permitting). For $5 enjoy a dawg mini burger, puptini and doggie ice cream. Of that, $1 goes to the BCSPCA. By the way, bring poochie in for ½ price pawdicures every Sunday.
Sheep dog trials
It’s the annual Metchosin Sheep Dog Trial, Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18, at William Head Road and Metchosin Road trial field in Metchosin. SPECTATORS are welcome to watch the event from the shade of an oak tree grove right at the bottom of the trial field. Please bring a chair. Please provide a donation at the gate.
Delta animal expo
It’s the first annual Delta Community Animal Expo, Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Memorial Park, 5010 47 Ave., Ladner, and Sunday, July 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Annievile Lions Park, 112th Street and 91st Avenue, North Delta. The event is free and is designed to promote animal safety, awareness and responsible pet ownership. The event will feature demonstrations, a pet parade, contests, and prizes.
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