We all have that one friend we really love but there are things they do that can really get on your nerves.

The same applies to our dogs, they do try to be our best friends but we try to make things difficult things at times.

As a dog owner, you need to be asking yourself, “What do dogs hate?”

When you know what not to do with your dog, then you will make the friendship bond you two have even stronger.

Well, here are a few things humans do that dogs hate.

1. Your dog hates it when you use words more than body gestures

Human beings are naturally vocal creatures. We love to talk and talk and talk, even at our dogs and assume that they do understand each and every word that we utter.

Well, shock on you, your dog really hates it when you neglect body language and talk more. English is not your dog’s native language, you need to always have that at the back of your mind.

The many words you speak may sound totally gibberish to your furry friend. He might only be able to catch a few common words, here and there but the rest is foreign language.

What your dog mainly relies on to figure out what you are saying is mainly on your body language.

Over the years, dogs have evolved to be experts at reading our human bodies. They can easily tell from your body language what you are feeling and thinking even before you realize that you are feeling or thinking about something.

However, it is very easy for you to give your dog mixed signals if you are only going to pay attention to what you are saying and not your body language.

👉 For example, when you tell a dog to “Stay!” while you are leaning forward toward the dog, it means in body language, that you are inviting the dog to come towards you. This can be pretty much confusing because your dog wouldn’t know whether to come or to stay.

Well you want to prove this concept? Go ahead and spend the whole day without literally talking to your pooch using words. Only use body gestures and you will be shocked at how much “talking” you would do with him.

2. Your dog hates it when you hug him tightly

I know this may sound pretty absurd! Yes! Your dog literally hates it when you hug him tightly.

You might be obsessed with wrapping your arms around your dog but this is one of those things dogs hate.

As humans, it is probably one way that we show our emotions and express love. This makes it totally fine to hug each other and squeeze one another.

👉 However, your canine friend has no hands and doesn’t hug you back. In the dog world, when a dog places his paw on another dog’s back, it is a way of showing dominance.

Therefore, it really doesn’t matter what your intentions are, dogs simply view hugging differently and may interpret it as a way of you showing dominance over them.

Your dog might try as much as he can to tolerate your child hugging him, but there are some dogs that might feel threatened and that is probably why most dog bites happen.

You might also realize that your dog might enjoy one person’s hug and loathe another.

👉 In case you are wondering whether your dog really enjoys your hugs or not, I would advise that you pay close attention to his body language the next time you cuddle him.

Is he tense? Does he try to lean away from you? Is your furry friend trying to avoid eye contact? Does he lick his lips or keep his mouth closed? Are his ears pulled back against his head?

All of these are signs that your dog might not really be okay with you wrapping your arms around him and that it makes him rather uncomfortable.

So the next time you go hugging your dog please be cautious because you are putting your face right next to a sharp set of teeth.

3. Your dog hates it when you pet his face or head

As humans, it would be really awkward to have a random person to just come and pat your head. Well, that is the exact same way that your dog feels when someone just pats their head out of the blues.

No matter how loving the gesture might seem, this is one of those things that humans do that dogs dislike. It is annoying and dogs do not want to be patted on the head at all times.

Ordinarily, if someone was to reach their hand towards your face, the first thing you would do is probably lean back and give them a killer look. Why is this so?

You are definitely not okay with the clear invasion of your space and this person probably lacks respect for your personal space.

It is not a surprise that most humans think that dogs like to be patted on the head. The reality is that your dog will only put up with this kind of behavior if it is someone they are conversant with. This invasion of personal space is an issue with dogs just as it is for us humans.

If you would like to reward your dog’s good behavior, kindly don’t bang them on their head. You can give them a yummy treat or rub them on their rear by the tail. Observe your dog’s body language and if you see him wagging his tail, he is probably enjoying himself.

4. Dogs hate it when you walk up to them while looking them in the eye

When you maintain steady eye contact with someone, it is a sign of trustworthiness and it shows that you are focused.

However, it undeniably true that eye contact can also be quite domineering and may make one feel uneasy.

When a stranger looks at you in the eye and stares, especially when the person is coming towards you, it feels intimidating.

You have probably seen it in movies when this strange appears walking towards person X and the next thing you know is they might pull out a gun or knife.

Eye contact is powerful and many species use it to establish dominance and authority.

You can easily decipher whether the eye stare is friendly or not. A dog may interpret such a stare as a sign of aggression or dominance and might not take it kindly.

👉 If you want to say hi to a new dog, try and approach him with your body slightly angled and eyes a little bit averted. Also remember to speak to him with a gentle voice. This will help the dog to understand that you mean no harm and you just want to say hello.

5. Your dog hates it when you don’t establish a routine for him

I am sure that this is a fact that they don’t teach you in school. However, you will learn in most dog training classes that dogs love structure.

Your dog loves, needs and does want you to lay down some rules. This is contrary to the opinion of most people that having strict rules may make your dog unhappy.

Dogs are wolf descendants and they do recognize that they have to follow their alpha, who they also recognize as their leader.

In this scenario, you need to establish yourself as your dog’s leader. This is effectively done through actions and not just mere talk. Dogs thrive when they actually know where the boundaries are.

This essentially means that when you train your dog to follow set rules, they grow up following those rules and also develop trust in you as their leader. This way you will be setting the environment for a very happy and obedient dog.

6. Your dog hates it when you force him to socialize with people he doesn’t like

Just like us humans, there are people your dog can easily relate to and others he clearly doesn’t want to be around. Your dog also has friends and enemies!

For that reason, your dog might want to associate with certain people and distance himself from some. This is a fact that most pet owners deny.

There are countless times we fail to pay attention to cues that our dogs are giving us and we still push them to people they dislike.

It is wise to note the difference, however thin the line might be, between a shy or fearful dog and positive encouragement.

You can socialize your dog by encouraging him to interact with strangers at the dog park but pay attention to his body language.

When you push your dog too far to do something he clearly doesn’t want, it may result into acts of aggression like biting and barking ferociously.

7. Your dog hates it when you take him for a walk and deny him the chance to smell

Dogs are naturally curious animals. When you take your dog out for a walk you need to give him time to explore his surroundings.

There are dogs that are well trained to walk obediently on the leash, but giving him a few seconds to sniff down the rabbit hole or at the flowers by the wayside is good. Dogs see with their noses just as humans do so with their eyes.

Your dog dislikes being taken for a walk and not being given a chance to soak in their environment.

Most dog owners simply focus on taking their dogs for walks to ease themselves or solely for exercise and are at times in a hurry to get back home.

This might be something that you probably did out of ignorance, but now because you are in the know, kindly take your dog out and allow him to smell his environment. You will notice how absolutely rejuvenated and delighted he will be.

8. Your dog hates it when you keep him on a tight leash

Dogs are really good at reading our body language. They can also read the message between a tight and tense leash.

You will be shocked at the amount of energy that is transferred between you and your dog just by the strip of leather.

When you keep the leash loose it helps your dog know that everything is chill and relaxed and there is no need to be afraid or tense.

However, if the leash is too tight, the message you are sending to your dog is that you are tense, nervous and he ought to be ready to fight or flee at any time.

9. Your dog hates it when you are boring

You probably know that feeling of hanging around someone who is totally boring.

Remember when you were little and you accompanied your parents when they ran errands. You visited grocery stores, one office after another and you never got the chance to visit the toy store. That is the feeling that your dog gets when you are boring.

Try to spend quality time with him. Come up with new games and teach him new tricks every now and then. That way you will always have a happy dog.

10. Your dog hates when you tease him!

This might sound silly but it is actually true. Your dog literally hates being teased.

Imagine someone pulling at your hair out of nowhere, how would you feel? That is the same way your dog feels when you come out of nowhere and pull his tail or ears.

Kindly don’t pull such stunts on your dog. It is not funny and some dogs might turn out to be aggressive and defensive.

Summary

In a nutshell, there are a number of things that your dog really hates when you do, the list is inexhaustive.

For instance, your dog hates being in a loud environment, he hates to be left alone in the house for long periods of time, your dog also hates being bathed all the time!

Simply read your dog’s body language and pay attention to the cues he is sending out.

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