A dog is a man’s best friend. This statement is true but is a man a dog’s best friend? Well, not always. Animals understand human behavior way better than humans understand animals. You might have noticed that your pet tries to console and comfort you when you are sad or stressed, but we humans find it difficult to understand animal emotions. Dogs are not aggressive by nature, especially not towards their owners. Even when the owner does some things that the dog is not fond of, he will not show any aggressive behavior. However, the dog will be upset, nervous, confused, and even stressed, none of which is good for the dog-parent relationship. So, it falls upon the loving pet parent to do some research and understand which actions are acceptable to your pet and which the dog dislikes.
Using Words More Than Actions
When training or communicating with dogs, you must have seen that trainers and owners only use keywords; they avoid using multiple words or long sentences, which confuses the pet. Dogs depend on human body language to figure out commands; human language makes little to no sense. So, when the owner uses many words accompanied by actions, the dog fails to understand the command and becomes increasingly frustrated. So, avoid using too many words when communicating with the dog.
Hugging Your Dog
Some owners love hugging their dogs, and while some pets may be comfortable with it, some aren’t. If you are one of those owners who love showing affection towards their furry friend through hugs and kisses, you might want to see if your dog likes your action or is visibly uncomfortable. If you wrap your arms around your dog and they lean away, keep their mouth closed, like their lips, avoid eye contact, etc., then your dog doesn’t like being hugged. Most loving owners do not have to worry about this, as your pet loves you more than themselves.
So, you will be okay with your approach; however, do not let other friends or family freely hug your dog as they might get annoyed, irritated, and may even feel threatened. Among primates, the action of wrapping a paw on the back of another dog is a dominant stance so warn your visitors.
