My dog doesn't focus or pay attention to me!

By Sarah Groves Dog Training - puppy training specialist covering Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea.

Do you ever feel like your dog has selective hearing?

You try everything that you know to grab their attention, but they're off sniffing the grass like you don't even exist - it's so frustrating!

Let's break down what might be getting in the way of your dog’s attention, and how you can start building better focus - so that you can start to enjoy your walks, stress free!

Why is focus and attention so important?

Getting your dog’s attention isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s the foundation for everything else, from recall to walking calmly on lead. But focus isn’t something that just happens — there’s a lot going on beneath the surface that can affect it.

If you've tried sooo hard with training, and are still struggling to get your dog to focus on you, then the next thing that we need to do is have a look at some of the reasons behind this, so that you can try again, but building from the bottom upwards.

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Why doesn't my dog pay attention to me?

First of all, your dog will be prioritising a percentage of their focus and attention on themselves to maintain homeostasis - so some of the internal factors that they will be focussed on include:

- Can i breathe? (short nosed breeds will have this issue – hence why they cannot focus on training for very long)

- Am I hungry?

- Do I need to go to the toilet?

- Am I too hot?

- Am I too cold?

- Am I underweight?

- Am I over weight?

- Am I healthy?

- Am I in pain?

- Is the equipment I’m wearing uncomfortable or distracting?

External factors that will affect focus and attention include:

- Are there scary things in the environment?

- What's that strange noise?

- Oh whats that lovely smell?

- I NEED to chase that bird/wildlife!

- Those dogs over there look like fun!

- There's people over there - I LOVE people!

- This grass is super exciting!

- This sand is fun to dig!

And the list could go on and on!

How do I teach my dog to focus on me?

So if you're trying so hard to get your dog’s focus and attention, and it’s just not happening – looking into these factors, giving a reason and making changes to these will greatly improve your training, and reduce your frustrations when it appears that your dog is just having an ‘off’ day or being ‘stubborn’.

When we understand the ‘why’, we’re in a better position to adapt, support, and build training that really works - for both ends of the lead.

Focus isn’t about demanding attention - it’s about creating the right conditions for your dog to offer it.

For some more information on HOW to build your dog's focus, take a look at this article 'How Do I Teach My Dog To Focus On Me?'