Your household dog is your friend, companion, and protector. You come home to crucial part of your family every day and you are given unconditional love upon your return. With this close relationship you develop with your dog, it is only natural that the dog becomes “annoyed” with some human antics you present day-in and day-out. After all, you get annoyed with some of the things your close family and friends do, so it is not so far-fetched (pun intended) to think your dog gets annoyed with things you do. Listed below are 12 things you might do that annoy your dog on a regular basis.
1. Staring into the dog’s eyes
Dogs are very territorial and dominant creatures so when certain things come about, they see it differently than how humans do. To a human, staring can have multiple different meanings, but to your dog, it means one thing: you are challenging them. Sometimes it is hard not to stare at a dog; maybe you are gazing to look at its face or seeing his/her behavioral patterns. If you can avoid this; however, it is best to try and avoid staring for too long at a dog you do not know, especially staring into its eyes. This could rattle and stir the dog’s tempers to where rover is annoyed and disgusted with your challenge. Following this small tip can help to keep the peace and calm with you and your dog (or your neighbor’s dog, etc.) and will help increase your close relationship with each other.
2. Hugs are for humans, not animals
Humans have interesting ways to communicate affection, closeness, and love. A hug is a gesture to show that you care and you are friends. However, to a dog, this is a mere irritation that only annoys them. When you look at dog’s culture, when dogs touch other dogs, it is usually to claim some sort of domination. Imagine your feet in their shoes for this one. A human comes and hugs you; you would get annoyed over the potential domination if you were a dog. The point is, if you can avoid extreme closeness with your dog or your friend’s dog, and then do it. Rather than hugging, consider a gentle petting to show you are friendly.
3. Loud talking or yelling will annoy your dog
Raising your voice is an evolutionary tool humans were given to emphasize serious matters. You raise your voice to demonstrate that you are not joking around and sometimes a loud voice or yelling is used to discipline. Your dog will automatically interpret yelling as something that they did wrong. If you do this enough times, he or she will get annoyed and soon will be confused with your temper. The best bet here is to stay calm and maintain a reasonable voice when you are discussing something. If you need to yell, consider leaving the room or area and do so, but save your voice and try not to yell if possible.
4. Tease a dog with a treat
Treats are yummy; of course they are this is why they are called treats. One thing that humans do that annoys dogs is trying to teach him or her a “trick” by placing the treat on its nose. Not only is this annoying, but it is downright mean. Your dog is expecting something for doing a job-well-done or for being good and you are delaying its gratification. Imagine going out to an ice cream shop and ordering ice cream only to have the clerk dangle the toppings in front of you for ten minutes. Pretty annoying right?
5. Leaving your dog at home alone too often
You did not get a dog to leave him or her at home all day long. They enjoy running, playing, and fetching, so when you leave your dog at home frequently without any stimulation, it gets pretty annoying. Not only is it something that can affect your dog’s behavior, training, and mental health, it can eventually lead to losing pertinent skills that he or she has gained over the years. If your life dictates that you are not home very much, if at all, consider options to keep your dog happy. There are dog sitters, day cares, and other dog-friendly places you can take him or her. The point is to spend time with this close family member.
6. Use your body language to communicate incorrectly
Have you ever wondered why your dog does not respond to some of your commands? It might be possible that you are letting out body language that tells the dog other messages. This not only annoys you, but it definitely annoys the dog and it is something that humans do very often. Sometimes it is not an overt sign we pick up on, but the truth is we all should be trained in body language techniques so that we can be better communicators with our dogs. The best way to communicate with your dog so that he or she comprehends your message is to use simple words. Only one command word for a particular order. Make sure the commands do not sound similar to make this message much clearer for your pooch.
7. Frequent bathing is for humans
Your dog needs to embrace hygiene for sure, but the thing is some humans take it to the extreme. If you are bathing your dog weekly and he or she has not been rolling around in mud or dirt, then there is a good chance your dog is annoyed by the frequency by which you bathe him or her. Frequent baths for your dog could lead to dry skin and eventually to skin breakdown. Dry skin could lead to infections and illnesses and it is not quite as simple to slather lotion on your dog after a bath.
8. Dog parks that are cramped
Have you ever been to a retail store during the shopping season only to find that you get annoyed with the number of people shopping and crowded isles? This situation can apply easily in the dog’s world. When there are way too many dogs loaded at the dog park, it can be a combination of chaos. Dogs tend to become agitated and annoyed when there are too many dogs playing and running around. This could lead to tempers flaring rather than friends being made. While it is not something you can control, if you notice the park over crowded when you go, consider going on a walk instead.
9. Interrupt your dog’s shuteye
If you are not a fan of waking up frequently during the night, then you will understand where your dog is coming from. If you are the type to continuously wake your dog while he or she is sleeping, then you are definitely annoying the dog. Dogs sleep more than humans and when you interrupt sleep like that, you are inviting a bad mood to come in to play soon. Some ways to avoid annoying your dog by waking him or her up is to go about your business at home naturally, but you should try to let your dog wake organically on his or her own. If you need to wake the dog, gently pet or touch the fur on the back to prevent startling.
10. Touching your dog’s face is not fun
Some humans are guilty of face petting and head patting dogs, which is something that can quickly annoy your friend. Think about your face being petted over and over or your head being patted hard? It would not feel so great and you are likely to be annoyed by these behaviors. If you need to touch your dog’s face, by all means do it, but if you are trying to show the dog that you are friendly, then use the long back and spine to gently pet him or her. This is especially true of dogs you do not know or with dogs who have a history of bad behavioral patterns.
11. Tight leash around the neck
This is one of the most common human annoyances for dogs. Think about when you are walking and tug on a dog’s collar with the leash? You are choking the dog and at the same time teaching the dog that it is ok to pull on the leash in that manner. Rather than pulling and choking the leash, consider taking the time to teach easy-to-understand commands for when you walk. Additionally, consider a body harness to take the ease off of the throat section.
12. Inconsistent commands annoys everyone
Imagine working as a waiter and you go to take a table’s orders. You ask what the customers would like only to get a bunch of words that have no meaning. Huh? This is how some of your messages come across to your dog when you have five command words for “stay.” If you want to prevent annoyances from growing with your dog, then keep the command words to a minimum and be clear about your usage of the words.