The relationship between humans and dogs has become increasingly close, intimate and affectionate, so much so that they are now considered members of the family in all respects. It is also known by now that living with a dog brings great benefits .

This is beautiful, but at the same time it has led us to interact with them just as we would with a child, a friend, a brother … but that may not always be good.

In fact, even if we are motivated by the best of intentions, some of our behaviors give a lot of annoyance to our furry dog, and for him they are a source of emotional stress, sometimes even considerable, which then leads to various forms of physical discomfort that the animal in some way signals us. (To learn more read: “What our dog communicates to us: let’s observe it to understand” ).

That is why it is so important to know what our attitudes and behaviors are that our dog does not like. Let’s see them together below.

1 – FIX THE DOG IN THE EYES

Contrary to what happens for us humans, whose interactions involve a lot of eye contact, dogs, on the other hand, do not like being looked in the eye at all .. This gesture is from them interpreted as a sign of challenge and therefore tend to feel very uncomfortable when looking at them, if not even to feel threatened.

The best thing, therefore, is to avoid looking them directly in the eyes, but try to shift attention to the ears or mouth, even if it can be unnatural for us.

2 – TOUCH THE HEAD AND FACE OF THE DOG

This may sound strange, but dogs don’t like being touched on the face and head in general. This is because they associate this gesture with a act of “submission” , causing them to feel in a condition of inferiority and therefore threatened.

Much better instead to pat the dog on the neck, back or belly. Will definitely appreciate more.

3 – HUG THE DOG

Our four-legged friends don’t even like being hugged ! Even though our animals tend to tolerate this gesture of affection, in reality they cannot enjoy it as well as we do.

In fact, they feel “forced” into a vice that limits their movements, and this makes them feel uncomfortable and sometimes even threatened … If we pay attention, in fact, we will notice that they keep their ears straight, stiffen and look away from us.

We therefore prefer to show our affection for the animal by cuddling it on its belly or playing with it.

4 – TALKING TO THE DOG WITHOUT CONSIDERING TONE AND GESTURES

The dog, of course, cannot understand our language and what we say, but it understands very well “how” we say it and knows how to listen and translate body language, or “non-verbal language” very well.

This is why it is important to always address the dog with the right intonation: firm and decisive if we are scolding him or sweet and calm if we are talking to him. This must be followed by one gestures consistent with what we want to make him understand.

What to never do on any occasion: shout at the dog. Just like humans, nobody likes being yelled at.

5 – MAKE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULES

Dogs are pack animals, made to live according to very specific hierarchies and rules of behavior. When we educate our dog then (find out more about how to train your dog ) it is important to immediately set simple, clear and precise rules that remain constant over time. The dog does not understand exceptions and this causes him a lot of confusion.

Even if he looks at us with his tender eyes and sometimes we would be inclined to make some exceptions to the rule, it is better to resist, or the dog will no longer understand how it is right to behave the next times and will tend to take over.

It is also important that the rules are enforced equally by all family members.

6 – TAKE THE DOG TO CROWDED PLACES

The dog is a very sensitive animal and tends to hear all noises, sounds, voices, but also lights and movements in an amplified way. Therefore, carrying him around in crowded and chaotic places is a great inconvenience for him .

So let’s avoid taking our furry dog with us when we go to the market, to go shopping, etc. While we seem to do him a pleasure to let him come with us, in reality it is not.

7 – WAKE UP THE SLEEPING DOG

Here is an example of a proverb that corresponds to the truth: “Do not wake the sleeping dog” .

Actually the principle is quite simple: no one likes to be awakened while sleeping. Even though our dogs have different sleep-wake rhythms than ours (discover the importance of sleep in our animals ), this does not mean that if we see them dozing during the day they can be woken up as we please.

We therefore avoid interruptions to their naps, unless absolutely necessary. Because in the long run the dog could get annoyed, start to get very stressed, up to showing some form of aggression.

8 – TAKE SHORT AND HURRY WALKS

The walk is a very important moment for our dog, not only to do their business, but also and above all to explore the outside world and thus reunite with its more natural side.

So let’s avoid going out with the minutes counted , yanking it if it stops to smell, and with the anxiety of going back because we are busy. Rather, let’s set aside some time sessions to dedicate to him completely, so as to allow him to take a proper walk. This is the his moment of relaxation and leisure and it is not right to take it away from him.

9 – MAKING CHANGES IN YOUR DOG’S ROUTINE

Dogs are very habitual animals , which need to live a very specific daily routine, and are very upset by changes of all kinds, whether large or small.

This is why it is important to establish a fixed daily routine for our furry dog, marked by specific moments dedicated to meals, walks and moments of play, and try to respect it as much as possible.

10 – HUMANIZE THE DOG

The dog has now become an integral part of the family, and this is beautiful.

At the same time, however, we are witnessing an erroneous and increasingly widespread humanization of the animal: dresses, coats, even caps and shoes are bought.

Have we ever wondered how our furry friend feels wearing accessories so far from his nature?

The clothing may make the animal “cute” in our eyes, but it is torture for him to wear these things, because he feels harnessed and very limited in his movements . And that’s definitely not what we want.

Even making him eat our food, thinking you are doing him a pleasure, actually does damage to his health.

In short: it is good to love our furry four-legged friend like a son or a brother, but continuing to respect him and treat him as a being of his kind and not ours.