A dog is a man’s best friend. This statement is true but is a man a dog’s best friend? Well, not always. Animals understand human behavior way better than humans understand animals. You might have noticed that your pet tries to console and comfort you when you are sad or stressed, but we humans find it difficult to understand animal emotion. Dogs are not aggressive by nature, especially not towards their owners.
Even when the owner does some things that the dog is not fond of, he will not show any aggressive behavior. However, the dog will be upset, nervous, confused, and even stressed, none of which is good for the dog-parent relationship. So, it falls upon the loving pet parent to do some research and understand which actions are acceptable to your pet and which the dog dislikes.
Using Words More Than Actions
When training or communicating with dogs, you must have seen that trainers and owners only use keywords; they avoid using multiple words or long sentences, which confuses the pet. Dogs depend on human body language to figure out commands; human language makes little to no sense. So, when the owner uses many words accompanied by actions, the dog fails to understand the command and becomes increasingly frustrated. So, avoid using too many words when communicating with the dog.
Hugging Your Dog
Some owners love hugging their dogs, and while some pets may be comfortable with it, some aren’t. If you are one of those owners who love showing affection towards their furry friend through hugs and kisses, you might want to see if your dog likes your action or is visibly uncomfortable. If you wrap your arms around your dog and they lean away, keep their mouth closed, like their lips, avoid eye contact, etc., then your dog doesn’t like being hugged. Most loving owners do not have to worry about this, as your pet loves you more than themselves.
So, you will be okay with your approach; however, do not let other friends or family freely hug your dog as they might get annoyed, irritated, and may even feel threatened. Among primates, the action of wrapping a paw on the back of another dog is a dominant stance so warn your visitors.
Rushed Walks
Dog 101: Dogs love walks. Sometimes the owners do not have enough time to take an hour-long walk, so they participate in a rushed walk instead. Avoid doing this; dogs are a species of smell; while we differentiate different objects mainly through our eye’s dogs depend on their nose. During walks, dogs stop at every step to smell the grass, the trees, the can, etc.; this is how dogs get about with their lives. To try and train them out of this habit is utterly wrong!
Exposing Them To Loud Environments
Yes, the fireworks are pretty, and you would like to enjoy the show with all your family members, including your dog, but this is not an acceptable idea. Dogs hate noisy environments, fireworks, thunderstorms, construction sites, noisy roads; all these things make a dog nervous and scared. The most common fear amongst dogs is the fear of loud noises, and while you have zero to no control over thunderstorms, you can control the environment you expose your dog to.
Separation
Most dog owners would love to play and cuddle with their pet all day long; however, work and social affairs require our attention. It is acceptable to leave your dogs at home for a few hours while you are away from work; however, leaving them alone for a long period is highly unacceptable. According to National Geographic, it is unhealthy for dogs to go without peeing for more than 8 hours.
In Summary
Raising a pet is as difficult as raising a child; both have some excellent days and more than a few tough days; however, it can all be learned. Dogs may be animals, but they are more human than most humans; they feel emotions. So, while you may think that your dog likes all your actions, you may be wrong. Learn to pick up your dog’s body language, and if you find that some of your actions annoy or scare your dog, make sure to stop immediately.