We’ve Never Seen Anything Like This! This Dog Has Perfected Attention-Seeking (video)

Every dog has their own techniques, but the method seen in the video is new even to us. Nina plays it safe to ensure she remains at the centre of attention.

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According to their owner’s recollection, this attention-seeking behaviour appeared almost overnight: And what exactly is this movement? “One day I had served her kibble, and she just starts doing thisweird motion” You can see it in the following video:

For example, when the owner cuddles up on the sofa with their other dog, Riley, Nina doesn’t hold back: she balances on her hind legs and almost waves with her front paws. Quoting the owner, at such times she is “begging for attention” – she clearly wants to be part of the intimate moment as well.

Of course, Nina is not the only one who has mastered this sequence of movements, as many owners teach this trick to their dogs. However, the fact that she allegedly started doing it entirely on her own and use it consistently to attract attention is quite unique. At least, we have never seen anything like it.

A brief word on attention-seeking behaviours

Dogs typically do not hide it if they crave their owner’s attention, but they use different tactics to obtain it—depending on what proves most effective. Some dogs paw at their owners, others lie on top of them, vocalise, or try to draw attention with their gaze. Nina, meanwhile, performs a rather unique “dance” when she want her owner’s attention.

These behaviours essentially serve a communicative function: the dog is trying to signal that they are bored, perhaps hungry, or simply can hardly wait for their owner to engage with them. If it is not excessive and does not bother the owner, there is nothing wrong with it. However, if it becomes very frequent, it is worth considering whether their mental and physical needs are truly being met. The answer may very well be yes, and the dog may simply require their owner’s closeness. In any case, it is worth keeping this possibility in mind.

Pawing is a very common attention-seeking behaviour.

Not all attention-seeking behaviours are harmless; for example, some dogs attempt to gain attention by tearing things apart or even by nipping. In such cases, it is worth intervening as soon as possible and discouraging the dog from the given behaviour.

Nina and Riley’s relationship

Nina joined their family in 2021, two years after Riley. Riley is the first dog, and her owner refers to her as a true angel, having come to know her as an entirely problem-free, easy-to-handle companion. She was adopted in 2019 after a local animal rescue organisation saved her from euthanasia. Perhaps the four-legged companion sensed that she owed their life to her family, or perhaps she simply ended up with the right owners. She is a true “Velcro dog”, devoted to them above all else:
“She does no wrong ever and loves her people so much that she would unzip us, crawl inside, and then zip herself back up if she could.” their owner writes in the following Instagram post.

Nina was a stray dog in the Bahamas but ended up at an animal rescue organisation located near the family’s home—this is where they met them and adopted them from. At first, Nina was afraid of everything, but Riley’s presence helped her open up. Essentially, Riley “brought her back to life”, the owner writes. This worked so well that the younger dog has since constantly asked for attention (either with her voice or with the sequence of movements seen in the earlier video) and wants to play at every moment of the day. However, her owners do not mind this at all, as she has perfectly integrated into the family. Together with their first dog, they form a perfect pair and have brought “a great deal of joy into each other’s lives”.

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