As much as we love and try to understand our dogs, it can be difficult to remember that they don’t necessarily respond positively to certain signals that we consider benign or even affectionate. The following article discusses very common interactions we have with our dogs that our dogs just don’t enjoy.
If you love your dog, you’ve probably expressed it in a thousand different ways. Unfortunately, a few of those ways are confusing to our dogs, and might even diminish their emotional comfort. Here are three of the most common habits our dogs wish we would break.
- Giving hugs. Dogs just don’t like hugs. In fact, when a dog puts his paws on top of or around another dog, it’s meant to signal domination and demand subservience. When we enclose our arms around our dogs, they can feel threatened and uncomfortable. However, most healthy dogs enjoy petting, being gently scratched in the right places, and sleeping very close to you.
- Looking at them right in the eye. Staring a dog in the eye for an extended period of time can be interpreted as a threat, because that’s what they do when they want to intimidate another animal. Don’t maintain eye contact with a dog for longer than three seconds, particularly if that dog is excitable and nervous.
- Shouting. Obviously, dogs don’t want to be shouted at, but any shouting or loud noises in a room that aren’t directed at them can still be scary. If you’ve ever watched a sporting event on TV and shouted when your team scored a touchdown and your dog immediately began barking, it wasn’t because they’re a fan of Tom Brady. They were frightened.
Keeping your dog physically healthy through good nutritional support is as important as maintaining their emotional health. A few high-quality, affordable pet food brands include Blue Buffalo, Castor & Pollux, and Zignature dog food. DCM, obesity, and diabetes can all be managed, and even prevented, with the proper vet-recommended diet.
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