04/20/2026
We often hear statements such as "my dog is being stubborn", "he should know better", or "she is just doing it to spite me". But, while these may make sense to *us* in a given situation, dogs are not humans, and they don't think in the same ways that we do.
📌 We have mentioned in prior posts that dog behavior is actually pretty simple, that is, when it comes to learning. Dogs are going to do what works for them. Simple as that. Yes, this even includes behaviors that we may not prefer (such as pulling on the leash or jumping up).
Dogs build up, and add to, their reinforcement history each and every time they perform a behavior that is rewarded. Remember, rewards can be intentional or unintentional on our part, or self-rewarding on the dog's part. The more the dog does the behavior, the stronger the behavior becomes.
So, then when we come in and try to ask the dog for a different behavior, it may seem like he isn't listening or is intentionally ignoring you. Remember, this isn't how dogs think or behave. He is just doing what has worked for him in the past. It is our job to manipulate the environment and training so that it becomes easier for your dog to do the thing you actually do prefer, and to manage or prevent the behaviors you don't prefer.
📌 Another reason your dog may not respond in the manner your prefer is generalization. Your dog may know "sit", and will perform it beautifully, in your home, but then when you ask for a sit in the middle of Home Depot your dog "ignores" you. This isn't intentional on the dog's part. Yes, he is likely overstimulated by the environment and actually does find it more interesting than you in the moment, but he isn't being defiant. Dogs just don't generalize behaviors well, at all.
To generalize the behavior, you work with your dog in increasingly more difficult environments - once the behavior has been established in the comfort of your own home. But, you need to do this slowly, rather than just throwing your dog into the deep end and expecting success. Guess what, sink or swim? Your dog will sink every time. So, take that "sit" out to the back yard, then the front yard, then down the driveway, then on the street...and then maybe try driving to the Home Depot parking lot and practicing there before ever going inside the building. Eventually, your dog will figure out that "sit" means sit, no matter the context.
📌 A third reason your dog may not "listen" is because he is flooded with emotion - this inhibits learning and/or his ability to think clearly and respond. If your dog is more worried about the dog across the street, or the large dump truck coming toward your home, he won't be able to do what you've asked.
When emotion is involved things can get a little more tricky, but desensitization and counter conditioning are the gold standard when it comes to changing *how* your dog feels about something. Once we can help your dog associate positive things with those potentially scary things, learning will come much more easily.
📌 Finally, a huge reason (which is more common than people think) as to why your dog may appear to be ignoring you is pain. If your dog is in pain, no amount of training will ever be successful. You absolutely must address the pain, first, with your veterinarian. Then, once the pain is under control, you can start working on teaching new skills once again.
📌 Don't forget, you and your dog must have a history of positive learning together. You must work to build your relationship using positive reinforcement and positive experiences - the better your relationship, and the more you consider how outside influences can affect behavior, the more successful your training will be.
