What to Do When My Puppy Ignores Me

Let Him Rest

• Puppies want you around on their time. Fido isn't having any of your stuff when the day has worn him thin and training has gone on for way too long. Your youngster has very sudden bursts of energy followed by sudden downtime. When he's tired, leave him be. He needs his rest and nothing you do will make him stop ignoring you. When you're training him, look for signs of disinterest, such as lack of attentiveness and unruly behavior. Those signs usually take about five minutes or so of constant training to pop up. When they do, stop his training and begin again later on.

Don't Repeat Commands

• If your little guy's ignoring your commands and he has shown he knows what they mean, the number of times you issue the commands may be the culprit. For most behaviors and tricks you teach Fido, say the command once and then wait for him to follow up with the appropriate behavior. By saying the command over and over again and then rewarding him when he finally complies, he thinks that he can listen whenever he wants to, rather than when you initially say the command. For commands that he already knows, start the training over again, this time never issuing the command more than once. For instance, rather than saying "sit" a million times while Fido completely ignores you, say it once, raise a treat slightly above his nose so he plops down, and then reward him.

Motivators

• Find what motivates your puppy and use it to your advantage. Some little ones are highly motivated by squeakers. Others, not so much -- they'll ignore you unless you have a lip-smacking snack in your hand. Try various motivators to see which one your pup best responds to. This makes your youngster more willing to cooperate during training and enables you to better positively reinforce good behavior. This mostly pertains to training. You shouldn't need to coerce Fido with hot dogs just so he'll snuggle with you on the couch.

Positive Things

• For most dogs, the human-canine relationship is pretty simple: You do good things for them, and they'll return the favor by being your best friends forever. If when you're around Fido rarely experiences good things, there's a decent chance he'll ignore you or treat you differently from other family members who regularly make a positive impact in his life. A good thing doesn't have to be something crazy, like taking your little guy to a cross-state doggy get-together. Simple contributions to his life, like feeding him, taking him for a walk, playing fetch -- they endear you to him and strengthen the bond you two have. Limiting the number of bad things that happen while you're around also helps. If you constantly yell at Fido, he probably won't want to hang out with you anytime soon.

Vet Visit

• The lack of attention Fido pays you is not likely linked to a medical problem, but it can be. Illnesses can make him lethargic, disinterested and un-puppy-like. If he continues to ignore you, take him in for a visit with the doc. Your vet may simply give Fido a thorough physical examination or may run tests. If an illness isn't to blame and the above solutions haven't worked out for you, it's possible you're dealing with an aloof canine. Most puppies are firecrackers and typically don't develop aloof behavior until later, but every dog is different.