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Australian shepherds are known for being quite talkative and having a big personality. Sometimes this makes them a handful, but a handful you love to bits.
What usually comes with a big personality is dramatic tendencies, but is that the case for australian shepherds?
Are Australian Shepherds Dramatic:
More often than not, australian shepherds will behave dramatically because they’ve unintentionally been trained to do so. If most of their dramatic behavior has been rewarded with attention, affection or their owner engaging with them, they’ll continue to behave this way often.
In this post you’ll discover:
- The 5 main reasons why australian shepherds are dramatic
- 7 ways australian shepherds will behave dramatically
- 4 tips to help an aussie stop behaving overly dramatic (Tip #1 & 2 can help the quickest!)
- And much much more
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
5 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Are Dramatic
1) They’re Bored
One of the main reasons why australian shepherds are so dramatic is because they can often get bored easily.
Aussies need a lot of exercise and stimulation, otherwise they’ll find ways to entertain themselves – and that usually means being bugging you and being dramatic when they don’t get their way!
So what can you do to keep your aussie from getting bored?
Make sure they get plenty of exercise and playtime, and provide them with mentally stimulating toys and activities.
Rotating through different types of toys is a great way to keep them entertained – something as simple as a Kong filled with peanut butter can keep an aussie busy for hours.
Related Reading: 10 Best Toys To Entertain Your Dog | Boredom Buster Toys
2) You Stopped The Fun
Another reason why australian shepherds can be so dramatic is when they feel like they’re not in control.
This could be anything from you stopping them from playing with a toy to taking away their food bowl while they’re eating.
If they were having a blast playing with a certain toy or playing with you and you all of a sudden decide it’s time to do something else, you’ll likely see a dramatic reaction.
They were enjoying themselves and didn’t want the fun to end.
So when you have to be the bad guy and stop their fun to do something else, your aussie is sure to give a dramatic reaction.
Related Reading: Are Australian Shepherds High Maintenance? (Explained!)
3) Feeling Impatient
Aussies are also known for being a bit impatient, which can often lead to them being dramatic.
Australian shepherds are always ready to go – they’re active and full of energy, and they want to be doing something all the time.
If you’re not moving as fast as they’d like, or if you’re taking too long to do something, they’ll let you know it!
A dramatic outburst is usually their way of trying to get your attention and hurry you along.
So if you’re taking too long to do something or if you’re not moving as fast as they would like, an aussie is sure to show their impatience in a very dramatic way.
This could be when you say ‘walk‘ or ‘car ride‘ which gets them all excited but you end up doing a few other things before you take them out.
What’s likely to happen is your aussie will follow you around like a shadow and let out big whines and sighs because they want to go out.
You might also notice them being impatient if you stop to talk to a neighbor/friend for too long while on your walk.
Related Reading: 7 Fascinating Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Stare At You
4) You Stopped Petting Them
If you’re sitting on the couch and petting your aussie, they’re likely to lay down next to you and enjoy the attention.
But if you stop petting them for even a second, they’ll probably pop right back up and start bugging you until you start petting them again.
It’s their way of trying to get your attention, and they usually do it by being as dramatic as possible.
So if you’re sitting on the couch petting your aussie and decide to stop for a second..
Chances are they’ll be up in your face in no time trying to get you to start petting them again.
Aussies really enjoy the attention they receive from being petted, so if you stop for too long they’ll definitely let you know it.
5) Unintentionally Trained To Be
One of the reasons why australian shepherds can be so dramatic is because you’ve unintentionally trained them to be that way.
How?
By reacting to their dramatic behavior in a way that gets them attention or giving them what they want.
For example, if your aussie is jumping up on you and whining for attention, and you give them attention or pet them when they do that, you’re reinforcing the behavior.
The same goes for if they bark and whine to be let outside and you eventually cave in and let them out – they’ve just been taught that being dramatic gets them what they want.
It’s important to remember this when training your aussie, and to not give in to their dramatics.
If you do, you’re only going to reinforce that behavior and make it worse.
7 Ways Australian Shepherds Will Behave Overdramatic
1) Pawing At You
If you were just giving them some good pats and belly rubs and decided to do something else, odds are your aussie will be dramatic and paw at you multiple times to get you to keep petting them.
They really enjoy the attention they receive from being petted, and they don’t want it to stop!
So if you’re sitting on the couch petting your aussie and decide to stop for a second, odds are they’ll be pawing at you in no time trying to get you to start petting them again.
Related Reading: Top 8 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Paw At You + 3 Tips
2) Letting Out a Big Sigh
If you stopped playing with your australian shepherd or are taking too long to do something they’re patiently (more likely impatiently) waiting for, they’ll likely let out a big sigh.
My pup is notorious for this and I always find it so funny.
I’ll have just been paying attention to her, giving her pets, playing or just simply cuddling, and after just a few minutes of stopping she lets out this biiiiig sigh.
Which I always take to mean, “I can’t believe you’re not paying attention to me anymore, this sucks!”.
Such a drama queen.
3) Making Strange Noises
Strange noises are also a way that your australian shepherd will demonstrate their dramatic behavior.
Things like weird sounding whines or moans/groans of disappointment.
You know there’s nothing wrong because they were fine a couple minutes ago.
But they’re just being dramatic because they aren’t getting their way at the moment.
Related Reading: Are Australian Shepherds Vocal & Talkative? (Explained!)
4) They’ll Huff At You
Another common way for australian shepherds to be dramatic is by huffing at you.
This is usually their quiet version of a bark.
If they aren’t happy with what you’re doing and wish you’d hurry up or do something for them, they’ll huff at you.
Which will almost always be followed with a paw stomp.
And if you don’t pay attention to their huffs and puffs it may even turn into a bark until you acknowledge them.
5) They’ll Make Moving Them Very Difficult
If your aussie knows they can get what they want by being dramatic, one of their favorite tactics might be to make moving them very difficult.
For example, if you’re trying to move them from the living room to their bed in another room, they’ll put up a big fuss and try to pull away or even lay down on the ground and refuse to move.
This is their way of trying to get you to give up or just carry them there.
Another situation where they might do this is if they’re having fun playing with their friends and you decide it’s time to leave.
They may lie on the ground and decide they aren’t going to move in an attempt to stay longer.
Which can be frustrating at the time but quite funny when you think about how silly they’re being.
6) Stop Eating
If your australian shepherd is being dramatic about their food, one way to tell is if they suddenly stop eating.
This could be because they’re being picky and only wanting to eat the things they like, or it could be a sign that they aren’t feeling well.
It’s important to watch them closely when it comes to their food and if they start acting like this to try to figure out what’s going on.
It could be a sign they aren’t feeling well or have eaten something that doesn’t sit well with them and have nothing to do with being dramatic.
Related Reading: 9 Reasons Australian Shepherds Won’t Eat + 6 Helpful Tips
7) Faking An Injury
The last way an aussie may act overdramatically is by faking an injury.
This could be as simple as limping when they don’t actually have to limp, or making it seem like they’re in pain whenever you touch them.
They do this in an attempt to get your sympathy and hopefully whatever else they want from you.
If you’ve been watching them the last 15-30 minutes and know for a fact they didn’t hurt themselves they’re likely just being a sucky pup.
4 Tips To Help Stop Australian Shepherds From Being So Dramatic
1) Ignore Their Dramatic Behavior
The easiest way to deal with an overdramatic australian shepherd is to completely ignore their dramatic behavior.
This means not paying attention to them when they huff, make strange noises, or try to get your sympathy by faking an injury.
If you don’t give them the reaction they’re looking for then eventually they’ll stop trying.
It may take a little bit for them to get the hint, but as long as you stay consistent they’ll eventually give up.
2) Lots Of Exercise
Aussies are a very active breed and they need lots of exercise to stay calm and out of trouble.
If they’re getting the proper amount of exercise then they’ll be too tired to put on their dramatic show.
So make sure you take them for plenty of long walks, play with them in the yard, or give them a good run at the park to wear them out.
This way they’ll be too tired to put on a show and will just want to relax when they’re home.
Related Reading: 12 Best Harnesses For Australian Shepherds
3) Spend a Little More Time With Them
Sometimes your australian shepherd’s dramatic behavior is because they’re feeling neglected.
While this can happen after simply 15 minutes of not paying attention to them it can also happen if the last few weeks you’ve been super busy with work or your social life.
If you think back to the last few weeks and you’ve been considerably busy, do your best to spend a little more time with your aussie.
Maybe their dramatic behavior is understandable and they need a little more attention from their loving mom/dad.
4) Have a Vet Look At Them
If you’ve been trying all of the tips above and your australian shepherd is still being dramatic, it’s worth having a vet take a look at them.
It could be a sign that they’re not feeling well and need some help getting better.
If their dramatics haven’t stopped after a few weeks of trying the tips listed above, it’s time to take them in for a check-up.
Other posts you might find interesting:
Australian Shepherds Easy To Crate Train? The Truth + Tips