Dogs are incredible animals. They’re loyal, loving and always happy to see you. But there are also things that dogs hate!
If you want to make sure that you’re always a good dog owner, you need to know what could upset your dog, this blog will look at 19 of the things dogs hate the most!
1. Bathing Him/her Too Often
Dogs, in general, are not very fond of baths (there are exceptions), but even less so if you bathe them very often. They do not require a bath as often as a human. The truth is that they hate the smell of the shampoo and how they feel after getting bathed since they lose their natural “scent,” with which they feel comfortable.
2. Don’t Let Him Sniff in The Street
Dogs sniff everything to extract information from the environment around them. If you don’t let your dog sniff when you go for a walk, he won’t be able to learn about what’s new in the neighborhood and he doesn’t like that.
3. Don’t Let Him Catch a Toy
If you are playing catch with him but never let him catch the toy, you are creating anxiety and eventually frustration. This also happens when playing with a cat. Put yourself in his shoes… wouldn’t it frustrate you to never get to catch the toy?
4. to Be Ignored When You Come Home From Work
Your dog has been alone all day! He misses you! No matter how tired you are, he needs your attention, so pay a little attention to him.
5. Being Left Alone
Dogs don’t like loneliness. We know that nowadays the most common thing is to spend many hours away from home working but if your work schedule is too demanding, you should consider hiring the services of a dog walker so that your dog, at least, can see someone and get out of the house for some exercise until you return.
6. Very Strong Smells
Dogs have a prodigious sense of smell that is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than that of humans. Naturally, strong odors such as bleach or ammonia affect them much more than us.
7. Forcing Him to Interact With Unfriendly Dogs
Just as your dog may not like some people, he may not like certain fellow dogs. Don’t force him to interact with them. It is good for him to socialize with both people and other dogs, but he should like them!
8. Have Their Footpads Touched
It is a supersensitive area for them and stroking them there can even tickle them!
9. That You Confront Him Directly With His Fears
If your dog dreads firecrackers, it may not be a good idea to take him outside when you know they are about to shoot them. The key is to expose him gradually to these stimuli and give him rewards every time he stays calm, without being harsh. In any case, we recommend that in these cases you follow the guidelines of a dog trainer or an ethologist.
10. Petting Him When He Is Afraid
Dog behavior experts never tire of saying that when a dog is afraid, you should not pet him because what you are doing is reinforcing that fear. The best approach is to let him pass the bad time alone, with you near but not on top of him or saying anything to him.
11. Get Blown in The Face
Okay, this is no one’s cup of tea, but they hate it so their response will not always be positive. Don’t make them angry. Everyone dislikes it.
12. Dress Him up if He Doesn’t Like It
Maybe you think it’s fun to dress up your dog as Superman, but maybe his behavior or reactions are indicating that he doesn’t like it when you put a cape around his neck. Would you like to be forced to wear clothes you’re not comfortable in?
13. Give Him an Express Walk (just to Go to The Bathroom)
Yes, we are all very busy, we have a thousand things to do during the day and we arrive home with no energy, just wanting to lie on the couch. Okay, but our dog is not to blame for that and deserves a proper walk: stretching his legs, sniffing without continuous tugging, jogging and, yes, also going to the bathroom.
14. You Are in a Bad Mood or Tense
When you are tense, nervous or in a bad mood, the dog often acts as a mirror and feels the same way you do. And who likes to feel that way? Nobody, not even the furry ones, so try, for the health of both of you, to make sure that your bad mood doesn’t last too long.
15. Walking Him on a Taut Leash
A taut leash conveys stress, frustration and nervousness to the dog. A loose leash, on the other hand, means calm and normalcy. If you walk your furry companion by pulling him, you will be sending him messages of alertness and that he should be ready to run away or fight (the two natural reactions of living beings when faced with a threat) all the time.
16. Boredom
Dogs need to be entertained. If you are a boring owner, your dog will hate it and his psychological health may suffer.
17. That There Are No Rules at Home
Just because your life is a bit chaotic and you’re busy does not mean that your dog likes disorder, not at all. Dogs are happier if there are rules because they like routines: they prefer to go for a walk, do their business and have their food at the same time every day.
18. Sending Confusing Signals
Dogs understand our body language better than our verbal language. There are certain words like “walk”, “come”, “take”, “paw”, “sit” or his name, which they do know well and understand what they represent but they are usually guided more by our gestures.
19. Staring Into His Eyes
A dog that doesn’t know you will interpret your staring into his eyes as a threat or a challenge. It is important not to do it with unfamiliar dogs or those who don’t know you well.
I hope you enjoyed our article about 19 things that dogs hate the most.
It’s no secret that dogs can be man’s best friend. Dogs are wonderful animals that are loyal, friendly, and protective. However, even the best of us can make mistakes that can be frustrating for our dogs.
I hope this blog post has helped you learn what you can do to better interact with your dog and to make your dog’s life happier and healthier.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time. Thank you for reading and, as always, I appreciate you!
