The bond between humans and dogs is increasingly close, and despite our great love, sometimes we do things that can upset our furry friend. We often interact with them just as we would with another human being, but unintentional words and gestures, even if motivated by the best intentions, can be irritating to dogs and sometimes even a source of stress.
To improve coexistence with your beloved pet, our advice is to learn to recognize and avoid behaviors that are unpleasant to your dog.
Here are the 5 behaviors to avoid that annoy dogs:
1 Talking without gesturing
We often talk to our dogs to communicate with them, and in doing so, it’s important to use words and gestures. In fact, our puppy is able to understand commands based on tone of voice and non-verbal language.
Not using gestures, thus excluding non-verbal language, can confuse our friend, making communication and coexistence stressful.
2 Routine changes
A fundamental aspect for your puppy’s health is establishing stable routines, with set times for meals, walks, play, and rest.
Dogs are creatures of habit, and disrupting or constantly changing their daily routine can cause severe stress and anxiety. So to ensure them a peaceful life, it’s important to establish consistency over time, trying not to upset your dog’s daily rhythm.
3 Staring at a dog
Most of the time we do this with good intentions, but staring at a dog is almost never a good idea.
For them, prolonged eye contact is interpreted as a sign of challenge, which makes the dog feel very uncomfortable or even threatened.
4 Taking a dog to crowded places
As you may know, dogs have very sensitive hearing and can’t tolerate excessive or overly bright lights or loud noises. For these reasons, most dogs become very uncomfortable and scared in crowded places.
Our advice is to avoid them and learn to recognize signs of stress such as: ears pulled back, tail between legs, and other abnormal behaviors.
5 Excessive hugs and cuddles
Even though our four-legged friends tend to tolerate our gestures of affection like pets, hugs, and cuddles, these can sometimes make them feel uncomfortable or threatened.
Our advice is to moderate cuddles and learn to understand your puppy’s needs. Always remember that from their perspective, the best way to show affection is through play.
We advise you, to improve the relationship with your beloved puppy, to learn and avoid these unpleasant behaviors, but remember that not all dogs are the same, every dog is unique, so it’s important to bond with and understand your pet’s language and emotions.