Do You have a dog that doesn’t listen to you? Have you trained your dog, but she still doesn’t listen to you. This video covered the top 3 reasons your dog is not listening to you, even after she has been trained, what to do about it. Implement these dog training tips to make your dog listen better.
Next, WATCH:
How to Teach Your Dog to Come – the FIRST Step to Teaching Recall https://youtu.be/YPLt7yixcAo
“My dog is IGNORING ME suddenly!” –Why your dog’s NOT LISTENING! (ft. Kim Brophey) https://youtu.be/yqSZdxI4JXA referenced video
Dog Behavior Expert – Kim Brophey, Author of Meet Your Dog (Interview) https://youtu.be/0rIVqRVvLlQ referenced full interview
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Disclaimers: Jenna Romano is not a veterinarian. Always consult a veterinarian before giving your dog any food. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Jenna Romano will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or death to you or your dog. This video is not instructional. This video is for entertainment purposes only.
When a dog isn’t listening to you it’s commonly
thought that it’s because your dog doesn’t have A solid recall they don’t come when called you
call them and they just completely ignore you However there are a lot of other reasons
that are apart from a good Recall why your Dog might not be listening to you so in this
video I’m breaking down the top three reasons Why your dog isn’t listening to you and what
you can do about it let’s get into it [Music] Now before we get into the top three reasons why
your dog isn’t listening to you we also want to Establish what type of relationship you want to
have with your dog now I’m going to set up two Polarizing perspectives I want to say for the
purpose of this video I have dramatized these Polar Opposites just for some clarity just so that
we all know what we’re talking about but of course There’s no such thing as this or that probably
you and your dog are gonna live somewhere in the Middle and that’s perfectly okay so sometimes when
I ask Guardians what type of relationship do you Want with your dog or what why do you want your
dog to listen to you what does that mean to you When you say you want your dog to listen to you
what are you saying I get two different types Of answers the first is that well I want him to
listen to me I want him to obey me I want him to When I tell him sit or I tell him to come I want
him to reliably do it every single time and I want To know that you know he’s going to listen to
me if there’s ever a danger I think the root of This is rooted in I want my dog to be safe however
what ends up happening is that we get this sort of Robotic perspective of our dog we get this idea
that our dog should be able to do exactly what We say when we say it and how we say it and if
you’re looking for this sort of exchange where You tell your dog what to do and then they just
do it without any questions asked what you really Are saying is that you want a stuffed animal
what you’re really saying is that you want an Individual who’s just going to succumb to every
single thing you you ask for and that is not how Dogs think dogs are individuals they have their
own opinions about the world they’re going to Value their own safety oftentimes they’re valuing
their own safety over your own safety and that’s Perfectly reasonable because they’re individuals
with a brain and they have a sole purpose which is To survive and be the fittest in the world right
so when we think about our interactions with Our dogs if you’re thinking I just want my dog to
obey everything I say two things one I want you to Question how realistic that really is and is that
actually fair to the individual who has a brain And a soul and a heart and a perspective about
the world and two probably my channel isn’t for You because secondly I really want to promote an
interaction in a relationship with your dog where Your dog has a say and your dog is able to say I
have an opinion about my safety and so therefore I’m going to respond in this way and it just so
happens to align with what my Guardians are also Recommending of me see there’s a difference
between a dog having a relationship with a Guardian that is built on your dog asking for
your opinion asking for your input mom what do you
Think we should do in this situation I would love
some clarity about what is happening here can you Give me some input that’s a different relationship
than I am at the mercy of my of my guardian and They’re just gonna tell me how to breathe and how
to eat and how to interact in the world so for me I like to set up relationships with dogs that are
built on I want to be there as a support system If my dog should need it and they’re going to
know that they can turn to me for input about How to navigate this situation what is the best
route to take for safety and when they should Need me I’ll be there for them otherwise they can
think critically and they’ll be able to problem Solve themselves why because I’ve given them the
life skills to be able to do so and this segues Me to my very first reason why your dog isn’t
listening to you assuming that you want to build a Relationship with your dog that is built on Mutual
communication your dog looking to you for guidance When they should need it but for the most part
having a brain and opinion and an autonomy over Their own decisions assuming that’s the type of
relationship you want to have with your dog the Very first reason why your dog isn’t listening
to you is probably because they physically can’t A lot of times when I ask Guardians why do you
think your dog isn’t listening to you they say Well it’s because he doesn’t want to it’s because
he literally didn’t desire to but then I asked Them the situation and they go oh well there was a
scary clown walking by or there was a dog barking At him or you know there was a lot of smells on
the grass and he was choosing the grass over me What that tells me is that it’s not a matter of
Desire it’s a matter of physically not able to And at this point you might be thinking what
you mean my dog is deaf my dog’s not death no No no there are other reasons why your dog might
not be physically capable of listening to you in That moment and this comes down to stress now
I know sometimes we think about stress is only Negative where the dog is fearful or the dog is
angry or the dog is whatever but physiologically And when we’re talking about from a scientific
perspective stress is neutral stress can be happy Stress can be sad stress can be Overjoyed stress
can be overwhelm right so stress can occur in the Body in a lot of different facets regardless of
emotions and so if you are for example feeling Like your dog is choosing the sniffs on the grass
over you perhaps it’s a matter of their body is So enthralled by the sniffs so enthralled by the
smells of the grass that they literally physically Cannot even fathom or comprehend what you’re
actually trying to ask of them or that you’re Even there again this has nothing to do with
desire this has everything to do with neural Pathways and this is especially prevalent in what
we would call nature dogs now I’m going to pause Here for a second because I’m going to come back
to our nature dogs in step two but what we need To know for the purpose of right now is that the
dog’s body is literally so packed with adrenaline So packed with cortisol or even serotonin just
so overwhelmed there’s just so much happening Internally the dog’s automatic is systems and some
of these more logic thinking parts of the body are
Not getting as many resources as they would if
they were operating at homeostasis or if they’re Operating what we would consider normalcy right
so while you’re sitting there saying your dog is Choosing the grass over you it’s not even a choice
the dog is not even thinking of it at in terms of A choice it’s not even a matter of I’m choosing
the grass over my guardian it’s a matter of the Grass is pulling me the grass is I am innately
inertly gravitating towards the grass right now And once you start to think of it in terms of no
literally the dog’s not capable of listening to me In this moment suddenly we realize that it’s up to
us to set up the environment so that the dog can Fathom what is being asked of him right suddenly
we realize that ah I see it’s the criteria it’s The setup that is flawed it is not the dog that
is wrong it is the situation on the whole that Needs augmentation right and so when you think
of it in terms of that suddenly it’s not so Much that the dog isn’t listening to you it’s
a matter of what can I do to prep my dog in a Better state where he’s able to hear me now the
next reason your dog isn’t listening to you is Sort of an extension off of what I was talking
about in number one which is their breeds or Their genetics as I said there is a segmentation
called nature dogs and these nature dogs can be Things like Akitas or Huskies or Malamutes some of
these dogs that are more free-ranging they think To themselves we also have our bully breeds which
are more headstrong and much more independent and What I’m getting at here is that there are certain
breeds that are literally designed literally bred To think independently literally bread to go off
and be alone to have their own opinions to not Necessarily consult a guardian let alone a human
what they should be doing in a situation they are Bred to know what they’re supposed to be doing in
a situation and so when you think to yourself ah My dog is no longer at you know listening to me
well perhaps they’re designed not to listen to You perhaps they’re literally designed to consult
their own opinions and to form them regardless of What you suggest and now at this point you might
be thinking but Jenna it wasn’t always like that When I got my puppy he listened to me and he was
doing exactly what I asked he had a really solid Recall everything was hunky dory and then I don’t
know what happened he turned like a year and a Half and all of a sudden he just stopped listening
to me he got into those rough teenage years well Let’s think about this for a second what you’ve
just said is that your dog has turned into Cognitive and sexual maturity which means that
they’re going to be less juvenile in nature and When they’re less juvenile in nature they’re going
to respond or listen or consult their Guardian Their you know director their uh Mentor in life a
whole lot less why because they’re adults now or They’re turning into adults so it makes sense
that they’re going to consult your opinion a Whole lot less this was the concept that I had a
really great in-depth conversation around with Kim Brophy you can watch the abbreviated conversation
here I’ll link it you can also listen to our full Interview I’ll link that in the description box
below in this conversation with Kim Brophy who’s
An applied ethologist she really broke down the
neural Pathways or the uh internal genetic basis For why a dog might be listening to you as a six
month old and then a year later a year and a half You call and they’re not even hearing you they’re
just like chasing the squirrel and you don’t know What happened it just seems like all of a sudden
they don’t care about you they don’t love you they Don’t listen to you etc etc etc and I know that
there are a lot of dog trainers that are going To tell you well it’s because you didn’t get a
solid enough recall or it’s because you didn’t Focus on obedience enough or it’s because you
did something wrong I’m here to tell you it has Nothing to do with what you did wrong it has to do
with the fact that your dog is an individual and They are reaching a level of maturity cognitive
and otherwise where they’re going to start to Think more like an individual Visual and it’s
not wrong it just is and so we have to put it Barriers in place to make sure that when those
decisions occur we are reinforcing the right Ones and this kind of leads me into number three
which is that we really want to be thinking about Are we putting up guard rails for our dogs to be
able to make healthy safe decisions so that yes We’re fueling their autonomy but we’re not letting
them run into the middle of the street and get hit By cars right where yes we are giving them agency
we’re letting them think for themselves but we’re Not uh letting them just run around racket without
any order and you know everything’s in disarray so Step three or Reason three why your dog isn’t
listening to you is probably because you’re not Reinforcing the behavior you actually want
and you’re not giving them something worth Listening to this is really the the emphasis this
is the thesis of this video which is that are you Actually giving your dog something to listen to
a lot of times what I see Guardians do is their Dog is sitting next to them or their dog isn’t a
heel or the dog is walking nice to them and you Can do this exercise just like go watch a dog
and a guardian at the cafe and you will notice How little the guardian actually interacts with
the dog when they’re behaving but the second that Their dog is pulling or the dog is you know going
to sniff something that they don’t want all of a Sudden now the guardian is so enthralled with him
and is giving them that attention so what’s really Happened is you’ve paid attention to your dog when
they’re doing an undesired Behavior and the second That they are doing the desired Behavior you’re
not worth listening to and the dog gets bored Right the dog wants to go explore things so if
you are saying things constantly that your dog Doesn’t have any reason to listen to which by the
way is about 95 percent of our interactions even As I’m recording this video right now my dog
is going off laying into the corner sleeping Why because he knows I’m not talking to him but
that’s because 95 of the time I’m interacting Around him without actually saying anything to him
imagine how frustrating that must be for an animal Imagine for a moment if you were living day
in and day out next to someone who constantly Was operating like you weren’t there and then
you had to find a way to know when they were
Speaking to you and when they weren’t speaking to
you even if they’re using the exact same language Um maybe you would pull from Context Clues like
are they giving me eye contact did they say my Name but if those two things don’t happen
you’re really left to just kind of figure It out on whether or not you’re relevant in any
given situation and a lot of times I see this Where it’s like the Guardians are only paying
attention to the dogs they’re only asking for The dogs to listen to them when the dog isn’t
listening to them but the second that the dog Is in the vicinity and is willing to listen all
of a sudden it’s like well now he’s doing what I want so I’m just going to engage with my friend
or in this case I’m just going to engage with my Camera or I’m just gonna go on the phone call I’m
just gonna go do a meeting I’m just gonna go do a Whatever why because now I finally have my dog’s
attention you’re not saying anything worth your Dog listening to and so what you actually want
to be doing is thinking about when am I giving My dog attention and when am I not giving my dog
attention am I giving clear information of when I expect them to be listening to me and when I
expect them not to be listening to me is that Your clear distinction there is it very black and
white especially if my if my dog is younger or has Only been with me for a little while right maybe
you have a five-year-old dog but they’ve only been With you for a couple months and even before then
they had hopscotched from home to home to home and At each home they’re supposed to try to figure out
when they’re relevant imagine how frustrating that Must be so be considerate of when I do have my
dog’s attention and my giving clear instructions Worth listening to and in the moments that I don’t
need my dog to listen to me is that clear as well And where am I just randomly for all intents
purposes arbitrarily deciding when I want my Dog to listen to me because if it’s arbitrary
then you’re it’s good reason for good reason Your dog is ignoring you for good reason your
dog doesn’t know what you’re saying because how Is he supposed to know when he’s involved in
the conversation now a lot of times I hear a Dog trainers say things like you the guardian
are in competition with the world when you’re You and your dog are out engaging on a walk
or at the park or at the cafe or whatever You are in competition with the world and full
disclosure I said this for years in my training Career this was a mantra that I would have my
clients repeat and I have to tell you as I’ve Gotten older and as I’ve matured intellectually
and just as a trainer and a behavior consultant I Have realized that is not the Mantra to hold
that is a very limited idea and here’s why When you have a dog who is innately and just
genetically driven to chase a squirrel to go smell That thing to go watch those trees to go do that
to do this when you have a dog who’s genetically Hardwired to do those things when you say you are
in competition with that what you’re really saying Is you’re in competition with your dog’s genetics
such that you’re in competition with your dog’s 14 000 years of genetics telling them they’re
supposed to jump on your counter and scavenger for
Food right that is when you put it like that you
realize like ah crap like I there’s no way I can Be in competition with 14 000 years of evolution
telling my dog to jump on the counter and get That thing right so the idea that we can be in
competition that that’s even a feasible ex you Know expectation is really naive so what I’ve
actually grown to learn is that it’s not that You’re in competition with that thing it’s that
you want to build up a behavior repertoire or a Reinforcement history that even stands a chance
in competition with that thing so what you’re Really thinking about is okay I can’t let my dog
chase that squirrel because it would be unsafe And potentially inhumane right so I can’t let my
dog just follow through and Chase that squirrel In this scenario so what I need to do is I need
to create a series of behaviors or where my dog Is looking at me my dog is able to chase a ball
my dog is able to chase after the uh um toy my Dog is able to chase after the Rope my dog is
able to do all of these things and these have Such a strong reinforcement history which means
that there is such a positive association with Performing these behaviors they get that dopamine
kick going the dog is enjoying it so much there’s Some such a strong reinforcement history with
these behaviors they’re so desirable that they Can even stand to be in the same league as that
squirrel and if I can get something with so much Reinforcement history if I can get those behaviors
with so much reinforcement history that they even Stand a chance against the value of that squirrel
then I am doing my job not that we are trying to Of course beat out the squirrel uh it’s kind
of like if you think about treating separation Anxiety in dogs which I’m not going to digress
too much on this but like you’re never going to Get your dog to feel comfortable alone over being
around you that is just an unrealistic expectation So you’re never going to be able to get your
dog similarly to choose a rope over a squirrel Most dogs who have a prey driver gonna choose the
squirrel over and over and over and over again so All you need to be doing is not thinking I’m in
competition with the squirrel all you need to Be thinking about is I just need something that
is remotely as valuable as that squirrel right I just need to to just compete I need to shoot
my shot and hope and pray that it works and I’m Gonna stack the deck in my favor that the dog is
more likely to choose me and this squirt or this Uh rope over that squirrel so this is the new
frame of mind that you want to thinking about And you can carry this when you’re teaching your
recall so when you’re teaching your dog to come Again you’re not necessarily thinking I need to
get my dog to you know choose me every single time Over whatever it is he’s looking at that would be
unrealistic instead you want to be thinking about I need to make the recall I need to get my dog
running to me so valuable so thoroughly enjoyable So positively Associated so much reinforcement
history that that recall even stands a chance Stands a chance against chasing the squirrel
against going off and hunting for that sniff Against whatever right um my objective is to
get this recall as valuable as I possibly can to
Stack the deck in my favor now if you’re wondering
okay Jenna how do I teach my dog to come and call I am so glad you asked it’s a wonderful great
question and I have the answer right here so I Would recommend checking out this tutorial next
about how to teach your dog to come when called If you enjoyed this video do me a favor smash
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I drop a new video and I’ll see you guys next week