Have you ever had to shout and shout your dog, and only after the fifth time, they look at you really puzzled?
Dogs can have selective hearing when they focus on one sense, however it is not always their fault.
Have you ever been reading a book, on your phone or watching TV and someone tries to have a conversion? Often time passes before you notice they are even talking to you, let alone taking in the information they have just shared. This is because your whole brain is focused on what you are seeing or reading, and your brain filters out external elements deemed as not important, placing them as background noise. This is a subconscious response that you have no control over.
The same can happen with any animal, including cats or dogs. Your dog could be sniffing a really interesting smell or can see a rabbit running, so the brain focuses to the olfactory (smell) or visual (sight) systems, shutting off information from the auditory (hearing) system. Meaning they can’t hear your recall requests.
This is not an excuse for no-recall training, it just means that if you have completed your recall training, sometimes it’s not your dog’s fault, if they can’t respond straight away.
Here at Forrest Animal Behaviour we not only work on recall, but we like to teach engage and disengage games, so that it is easier for your dog if these situations arise. So, your dog chooses to listen to the recall, even when highly aroused with scents or sights. We also practice for these events in sessions, so that it is even easier to choose the right decision.
If you find you need help with recall or find your dog is overstimulated in the outside world, drop us a message.
