We’ve all heard it before: a dog is man’s best friend. And since a dog is a man’s best friend, we all assume that dogs should be happily greeting us whenever we come home. That isn’t always the case with some dogs, though. So have you ever wondered, why doesn’t my dog greet me?
Your dog may not greet you because they were not trained to greet you. Greeting may also not be a part of your dog’s regular routine. Other reasons include fear, or associating greeting with negative outcomes.
It might feel frustrating to have a dog that ignores you when you come in, but there are different methods to try when it comes to dogs. Keep reading to learn some reasons why your dog may not be greeting you and what you can do to change that behavior.
5 Reasons Why Your Dog Doesn’t Greet You
Even though there may be dozens of reasons why your dog isn’t greeting you, let’s talk about the top 5 reasons why your dog isn’t greeting you:
- There is no reward for your dog.
- Your schedule is sporadic, which means it is difficult for your dog to get into a routine.
- Your dog was never taught how to greet you.
- Your dog is independent and doesn’t feel the need to greet you.
- Your dog may be timid, especially if your dog is new to your home.
You know your dog better than anyone else. See if you can pinpoint why your dog isn’t greeting you. Once you know the root of your dog’s problem, then you can work to fix it.
Why Does My Dog Greet Me In The Morning
Your dog greets you in the morning because he is excited to see you. Whether your crate your dog or let your dog sleep with you in bed, you’ll notice that your dog is always excited to see you awake again.
When your dog greets you in the morning, your dog is happy to see you again. Dogs, unlike cats, are extremely affectionate to their owners and show their happiness easily.
Dogs are excited to see you, even if they were sleeping next to you. Dogs crated at night or sleep in a different part of the house will also be happy to see you awake and greet you with a wagging tail.
Your dog may also know that seeing you in the morning means that they are getting fed and going outside.
Should You Greet Your Dog In The Morning
If your dog is excited to see you when he greets you in the morning, it’s hard not to get excited. Your dog might not be offended if you don’t also greet him in the morning.
There’s no harm in greeting your dog in the morning unless the excitement is an issue. By this, I mean that an overly excited dog might not be what you want in the morning.
An excited dog might start barking or, in the case of puppies, may pee on the floor. If your dog hasn’t been out all night, this is a more common problem.
If you know you like to say good morning to your dog in the morning, then go for it! Dogs show happiness with their whole body, so you’ll feel an instant burst of happiness knowing your dog is excited to see you.
Why Is My Dog Not Affectionate To Me
Some dogs aren’t affectionate, but there may be other reasons why your dog isn’t affectionate toward you.
We all like to think our dogs are affectionate, but sometimes, dogs aren’t as affectionate as you think they should be.
- You aren’t the main person taking care of your dog’s needs. If you don’t feed your dog and let them out, they might be more affectionate toward the person who does so.
- Your dog is new in your home and may not be comfortable around you yet. This type of dog needs time.
- If your dog is suddenly not as affectionate as usual, your dog may not be feeling well. If it persists, see your vet.
- Your dog isn’t affectionate. Independent dogs may not feel the need to be as affectionate as other dogs.
Unless your dog’s level of affection has suddenly swung to one extreme or another, the level of affection your dog shows isn’t a considerable concern. You can always do things to make your dog more affectionate, but none of the fixes can be done overnight.
Can I Train My Dog To Greet Me
Training your dog to greet you, like most other “tricks” a dog can learn, is possible as long as you are patient and stick with it.
You can teach your dog to greet you, though this may not be one of the first things you train your dog to do. Commands like sit and no bark are much more important in daily life. But greeting, just like rolling over, can be taught.
The process for training your dog to greet you will be mostly the same as training your dog to do anything else. Continue working with your dog to teach your dog to greet you; it may be a good idea to give your dog a treat each time your dog appropriately greets you. A treat will reinforce the positive behavior that you want to continue.
Tips To Encourage A Dog To Greet You
If you want your dog to greet you, here are some tips that might help you encourage your dog:
- Reward your dog with a treat when your dog properly greets you. This will reward the positive behavior.
- Greet your dog first. If your dog gets excited, they will return the gesture when they see you.
- Set up a routine with your dog. Once your dog has a schedule, they will know roughly what time to greet you at the front door when you arrive home, for example.
- Pet your dog whenever they properly greet you. Affection may be as good as a jerky treat for some dogs.
If your dog doesn’t respond well to learning to greet this, don’t give up! It may take a few weeks or months for your dog to get into the habit of greeting you, but once your dog does, it will be all worth it!
How To Train Your Dog To Greet Visitors
One of the most challenging things that dogs learn is often how to greet visitors.
The best way to train your dog to greet visitors is to expose your dog to a wide variety of people. By meeting more people, your dog will become calmer and learn how to greet strangers and people you often have over properly.
This may be more difficult in a household that does not have many visitors. Even though it might be hard and annoying to regularly invite people over, exposure is essential for your dog.
Whenever you do have someone over, make sure to correct bad behavior and reward good behavior. It may take your dog some time to get used to other people in your home, but if you reward or correct your dog, your dog will learn proper behavior around new people.
Since we’ve all been told that dogs are man’s best friend (and woman’s too!), we all expect that our dogs will greet us, but it’s difficult when they do not. Greeting is a behavior that can change and be taught, so if your dog doesn’t greet you now, it doesn’t mean they’ll never greet you in the future.
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