Dogs often appear to have selective hearing, just as humans do. Why is my dog ignoring me? Put yourself in your dog’s paws, and it makes sense that they ignore human chatter. Most of the “mouth noise” that people spout doesn’t matter to dogs, and to get King’s attention, it must trump whatever else has his attention. 

Why Does My Dog Ignore Me?

Dogs communicate on multiple levels. Audio cues are only one part of the repertoire. Remember, too, that dogs hear and smell their world in a much more acute manner, so anything WE do may pale in comparison to the scent of fresh bunny that shouts its way up his nose and into his doggy brain.

In the same way, the rattle of cellophane wrapping on yummies predicts a treat, because — the last time he heard that sound, you GAVE him a treat from the bag. One repetition may be all it takes for smart dogs to remember.

We also train dogs to ignore us by repeating phrases and words so often, they lose their impact. If you call “King, come, come here boy, here King, let’s go, come come COME!” he tunes you out. 

Further, if you call him to come, he delays responding, and then finally returns–and you punish him, oy!–you’ve trained him that when he comes, he gets slapped. There’s no quicker way to teach him to ignore you. And yes, I’ve heard of this happening more times than you’d expect.

4 Reasons Dogs Ignore You

Distraction:

A new place often proves far more interesting with all the sniffs and potential exploration. So a dog who faithfully comes when called in familiar surroundings might ignore you in a new place.

Misunderstanding:

While dogs understand a LOT of human words and conversation, they learn best with consistent use of specific terms. Humans might understand that “come” and “here boy” and “get over here” mean the same thing, your dog best responds to one consistent command. Choose wisely, and drill your human family so they also know how best to communicate with your dog.

FAS…Fear, Anxiety, Stress:

Any dog feeling one of these emotions has his paws (and brain) full of more important things than listening to human chatter. A newly adopted dog takes time to de-stress and develop a trusting relationship with the new environment and people. These dogs might seem to ignore you or “shut down” when in extreme distress, simply to protect themselves. Patience, and consistency goes a long way to building trust–and from there, your dog learns about the benefits of listening and responding to you.

Aging Issues:

When we’re lucky enough to live with a senior canine, aging issues develop so gradually we may not notice until–suddenly–King no longer responds to the cellophane crinkle of a treat bag. With age, senses dim and your dog may develop deafness. Hearing loss certainly impacts your dog’s response to your conversation or requests. But other health concerns also can make it appear your dog ignores you, when arthritis hurts. Rather than jumping up to race to your side, she may choose to ignore you.

What to Do When Your Dog Ignores You

The best way to ensure dogs respond to the human is to make it worthwhile. A treat or toy reward they ONLY get if they respond promptly is a good reinforcer. If you have two dogs, call them and only reward and make a big deal over the FIRST one to come to you–make it a competition. *s*

If the dog is hard of hearing, or even deaf, an easy test is to snap fingers or make some other sound when he is NOT looking at you. Even if he ignores you, his ears will twitch if he hears. Certain dog breeds, or colors of dogs, may predict an earlier hearing loss. White dogs with blue eyes, for instance, may be born deaf or lose hearing more quickly.

Because dogs communicate with more than sound, a dog with hearing loss can still respond to your requests. Just make them so he understands, with hand signals or the vibration of a stomped foot. Many dogs learn this without training, and pay such close attention to owners, that their gradual loss of hearing goes undetected since they compensate so well. A collar with a vibration setting can be used to call a deaf dog back inside or use the beam of a flashlight to signal these dogs.