🐕 Assistance Dog Specialist
25/04/2025
Brilliant post. Some of the behaviours we often associate with 'attention seeking' are likely trying to tell you something completely different 🐾
ATTENTION SEEKING OR SEEKING SOMETHING ELSE?
I get lots of enquiries from people who want help with ‘attention seeking’ behaviours. Their dog may bark, paw them, bring them toys etc all evening and are generally quite annoying! People can really struggle with this when they’ve had a long day at work and just want to relax but their dog is not on the same page and is anything but relaxing!
It’s easy to just think that the dog is doing all this stuff to get attention but there are so many other reasons why and it’s important that we figure out the ‘why’
What is it that the dog is seeking? Dogs don’t do things just to be annoying or a pain in the bum, although it may feel like that sometimes!
😴 Many dogs become over tired or overstimulated and this can absolutely lead to attention seeking type behaviours. Especially in young dogs, they may seem like they need to be ‘worn out’ but actually they really need a good sleep. If your dog struggles to settle down it can help to sit down with them so that they actually rest. See if they are less annoying after a nap, as if they are, they were overtired.
📺 Some dogs can get overstimulated by busy surroundings and find it really hard to settle and they may need a quiet place to retreat to so that they can rest.
🩺 It’s also really worth remembering that both an inability to settle and annoying attention seeking type behaviours, (including barking and pawing at you) are really linked to pain. Dogs that don’t feel well often want you to keep touching them and they may paw you if you stop for a second. Some dogs in pain may want you keeping playing with them and chucking their toys as it takes their mind off how uncomfortable they are. Cognitive decline in older dogs can also lead to attention seeking type behaviours.
🐺 The most ‘annoying’ dog I ever had was Elsa, my first northern Inuit who at 18m old would take hours to settle in the evening and would be incessant in her need for ‘attention’ she would eventually crash when she was absolutely exhausted at 10pm. She’d open all the cupboards and empty everything out of them, bring me potatoes and random shoes ALL evening 😁 she would pick all the tomatoes off my plants and bring them in one by one 😂 she would pester my other dogs, she was incessant
Nothing helped her to settle and, I didn’t know if at the time, but it was as she was in pain. The only thing that would have helped her settle was feeling well. I never ever assume a young dog isn’t in pain now, she taught me that. Pain trials with the help of a clients vet, can be incredibly helpful in trying to work out if pain could be a factor. Your dog may not be seeking attention, they may be seeking relief.
🥰 We also see attention seeking when dogs are struggling emotionally and it’s actually connection they are seeking- they want to connect with us and interact in a meaningful way. If we ignore our dogs on walks and just scroll on our phones, if we don’t spend any time meeting their needs for interaction or if we leave them alone all day and then crate them all night away from us, their need for connection won’t be met. They are social creatures and desire social contact with us. If a dog’s need for connection isn’t met then they absolutely will be annoying as their fundamental need isn’t being met.
🌲 Some dogs are annoying as their physical or mental needs aren’t met. All dogs need physically exercise (suited to their needs) and being outside and a change of scene is also so important to provide stimulation. For some dogs, walks are easy and enjoyable but for others who struggle, they still need a change of scene, whether that’s a freedom field or a friend’s garden or an industrial estate outing. I have an incredibly active terrier who has physical limitations so goes through regular periods of greatly reduced exercise and during those phases I still get her out every single day as she needs to see the world, meet people and be stimulated or she would be hard work to live with otherwise.
🧠 Many of us have incredibly intelligent breeds with strong desires to do stuff and they need activities that help them scratch that itch otherwise, chances are, they will be annoying. Scent work helps so many dogs to find fulfillment and feel mentally satiated. If you have an annoying dog, scent work may the answer to your prayers 😂
This is Elsa my first inuit
Laura McAuliffe, 2025, Dog Communication
