Are you frustrated trying to get your dog to come to you or stop chewing on that thing or go potty when you say? If the answer is yes, you're not alone! One of the most common complaints I've heard recently from dog owners is that they feel like their dog doesn't listen to them.

If your dog isn't listening to you, it's for one of two reasons. Either they don't view you as their leader and therefore have no reason to listen to you, or they have no real incentive to listen to you and simply choose not to. Here are some ways to tell if your dog doesn't view you as their leader: if they are inviting themselves onto your lap or into your personal space, if they are being fed treats or meals without first earning them or if they don't perform tasks when you ask them to.

Your dog will have no incentive to listen to you if they are being free fed and have access to all of their favorite things 24/7. Dogs, just like people, appreciate what they earn and tend to take what they don't earn for granted. So how do you get your dog to listen to you? A change of household structures and feeding schedule is usually required. I recommend having your dog sit or wait for you to enter through doorways first, only allow them into your personal space when you invite them, and feed them after they've been walked and recovered from the walk.

Also, your dog might not take you seriously when you ask them to perform a basic task or command. This is most likely because they don't believe there will be a significant enough reward if they do what you ask, or they don't think there are any real consequences if they don't. I would recommend actually getting your dogs attention enough to help them perform the task you asked for, and reward them greatly once they do that task, so as to clarify that you really do mean what you say.