If your dog has stopped getting excited when it sees you, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.
So, why doesn’t my dog get excited to see me anymore? Common reasons why your dog doesn’t get excited to see you anymore are being intimidated, having an injury or illness, an issue with its diet, or depression.
There are multiple possible causes and it could be the result of a combination of causes. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Reasons why your dog doesn’t get excited to see you anymore
Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make each of them more likely.
Intimidation
It could be the case that it has become intimidated around you. This would be more likely if it started doing it suddenly after you started shouting or getting mad at it. Instead, it would help to be calm around it and to use positive reinforcement training to change its behavior.
Injury or illness
The cause might also be that it has gotten an injury or illness. This would be more likely if it has stopped getting excited suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill or injured such as limping or vomiting. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Encouraging the behavior
It might also be the case that it has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. If you have been giving it rewards such as extra attention, toys, or treats, when it does not get excited, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
An issue with its diet
Another possible cause is that it has been having an issue with its diet. This would be more likely if your dog has started behaving differently since a change in its diet or if it behaves differently when it eats certain foods. It would help to ensure that it is eating the right diet and that nobody else has been feeding it without you knowing.
Someone else started feeding and walking it
If your dog has been giving more attention to someone else since you stopped feeding and walking it, the cause could be that it is hoping to get food or exercise from the other person. In this case, if you start feeding and exercising it, yourself, again it will likely start giving you more attention.
Depression
Dogs can become depressed and it might be the reason why yours has stopped getting excited to see you. This would be more likely if it started behaving differently way since an event that might have caused it to start being depressed such as an owner or another pet dying.
In this case, if it does not begin to improve over the course of a few weeks, it would help to take it to a vet.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider about your dog not getting excited to see you.
What else happened when it started behaving that way
It would help to consider what else happened when it stopped getting excited to see you since an event might have caused it to start behaving differently. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be due to you intimidating it, illness, injury, or something causing it to become depressed.
What is different when your dog does show affection
If your dog does show affection towards you sometimes, it would help to consider what is different when it does it. For example, if it does it when a certain person or animal is not around, it might be the case that it is afraid of that person or animal.
What to do about your dog not getting excited to see you anymore
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Avoid intimidating it
It might be the case that it has been doing it due to being intimidated. Instead, it would help to use positive reinforcement training to get it to behave the way you want and to be calm around it.
Give it sufficient food and exercise
It would also help to ensure that you are the one that feeds it and gives it exercise most of the time. Doing so should get it to pay more attention to you and to be more excited to see you.
Ensure it is not ill or injured
If your dog has been showing signs of being ill or injured or it has started behaving very unusually, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out medical causes.