Just as our dogs don’t understand that certain canine behaviors might bother us, we too make mistakes that can worry, upset, or even anger our dogs. These human habits are annoying, to our four-legged friends.
Yelling
Your dog sees yelling as angry barking, which for them means trouble. Instead of yelling, it’s better to remain calm and use your tone of voice. A deeper tone to your voice means, “Hey, this needs your attention,” while a softer tone means “Good job!” By adjusting our vocal tone instead of volume, we’ll get our dog’s attention without scaring them off.
Teasing
Children are usually guilty of teasing dogs, by barking back at them behind a fence, pulling on their tails. This is quite upsetting for our dogs and can make them timid, uneasy or even aggressive. Be sure to reward your dog quickly after he performs a behavior correctly.
Staring
Staring often translates to a challenge to dogs, so the last thing you should do is stare for too long. Though you should have no problem with your own dog, it might be interpreted as threatening new dogs. So avoid staring into the eyes of a dog who seems edgy, worried or aggressive!
Changes to Routine
Dogs depend on the routine. Feeding schedules, walking schedules, playtime—your dog comes to expect this to happen without much deviation. If you casually change their dinner time or take them out later than usual, it can stress them and even cause them to change their behavior. Try to stick to the same schedule as best as you can.
Inconsistency
You often encourage your furry friend to jump up on you when you get home from work, but when you have visitors, you chastise your dog for doing this same thing. This inconsistency only confuses your dog. To avoid this, decide precisely what you prefer your dog to do, then stick to it.