Training myths
"My dog is stubborn": what is really going on
Stubborn is a word that ends the conversation. Once the dog is labelled that way, the problem sits inside the dog and the owner stops looking for anything else. Dogs do not hold grudges about sit. When a cue fails, there is nearly always a reason you can find and fix, and it is rarely the dog deciding to defy you.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
Where it comes from
Why a missed cue feels personal.
The label usually appears at a predictable moment. The dog sits perfectly in the kitchen, then stares at you on the sidewalk. Or it comes when called in the yard, but not when a squirrel is on the fence. To the owner, the dog clearly knows the cue and is choosing not to do it. Some breeds also arrive with a stubborn reputation, which primes people to see defiance.
What is more often going on is one of three gaps. The dog may not care enough about what you are offering compared with what is in front of it. The cue may not be as clear as you think. Or the skill may live only in the room where it was taught. None of those require spite to explain.
- Works in kitchen, not outside
- Cue repeated three or four times
- Family members use different words
- Squirrel outranks the reward
Rule things out
Pain, fear and the slow sit.
Before calling a dog stubborn, check whether it can comfortably do what you are asking. A dog who used to sit quickly and now lowers slowly, refuses stairs or will not lie down on tile may be sore. That is a vet question first, not a training one. Never force a position on a dog who resists, and never punish a growl that comes with handling.
A worried dog can also look stubborn. A dog who freezes, plants its feet on the way to a busy street or refuses to walk past a noisy construction site may be frightened rather than defiant. Pulling harder tends to make fear worse. If freezing or refusal is persistent or growing, a professional assessment is the right next step.
What we do instead
Clear cues, real pay and many places.
We fix clarity first, with markers that tell the dog the exact moment it got something right, and one word per behaviour that everyone in the house uses. We fix motivation by finding what this particular dog will work for and paying it fairly. Then comes real-world proofing: the same sit on the sidewalk, at the pet store door and beside a busy path, until the cue means the same thing everywhere.
Tools are matched to the individual dog and taught to the owner, so the dog is not learning one language from us and another at home. Owners who want steady help with daytime practice might look at Day Training, $650 plus GST per week, with drop-off from 8 to 10 am, pick-up from 5 to 7 pm and a weekly one-hour go-home lesson. Your consultation will suggest the right fit, smaller options included.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Why does my dog ignore commands sometimes but not others?
Usually the setting has changed. A skill learned in a quiet room often needs to be taught again in busier places before it holds, and distractions can outweigh the reward you are offering.
Are some dog breeds just stubborn?
Some breeds were developed to work more independently, which can make them less eager to repeat a task for no reason. That is a motivation question to solve, not a fixed trait that blocks training.
Is my dog ignoring me on purpose?
It is very unlikely to be spite. Dogs make choices based on what has paid off before and what is in front of them, so a missed cue is information about clarity, motivation or setting.
Should I keep repeating the command until my dog listens?
Repeating it tends to teach the dog that the first cue is optional. Say it once, help the dog succeed, and reward. If it keeps failing, make the situation easier before raising the difficulty.
Keep reading
Not stubborn, just unclear
Book a consultation and we will work out whether it is motivation, clarity or setting holding your dog back.
From real owners
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