It’s every pet parent’s worst nightmare.
One day you go to pet your beloved pup only to see them flinch away or leave the room.
They refuse to sleep near you and spend all their time hiding under your bed or in their crate.
The bond between dog and dog parent has been severed possibly forever.
What went wrong?
In this blog post, we’re going to look at 21 mistakes that otherwise well-meaning dog owners make that can cause their dog significant emotional pain.
1. Docking and Cropping
Docking is the practice of cutting off a dog’s tail, while cropping involves cutting the ears so as to make them look pointier.
In some rare cases these operations can be required due to certain medical conditions, but unfortunately they are often also done for cosmetic reasons.
breeds like Great Danes, Rottweilers and boxers have their tails, ears, or both docked or cropped in puppyhood purely because people think that it makes them look better.
Obviously this causes significant physical pain for the puppy in question, especially as the operation is often performed without any kind of anesthetic.
But you might be surprised to learn that it can also cause them significant emotional issues in later life.
A dog’s tail and ears aren’t just for decoration; they’re important tools for K9 body language.
Without them, a dog can have difficulty communicating with other dogs.
Arguably, it’s equivalent to removing a human’s tongue.
2. Making them chase nothing
It’s an old trick: you get the ball in your hand, you go to throw it, but you don’t release it at the last moment.
Your dog knows to expect the ball to be thrown and so starts running when they see you make the motion with your hand.
Due to their poor eyesight when it comes to stationary objects, your dog, much like the Tyrannosaurus Rex from Jurassic Park, has eyes that are designed for tracking motion and so may have difficulty spotting things that aren’t moving.
It may take them a while to even realize that there isn’t any ball on the ground where it should be.
This may seem funny, but it’s degrading your dog’s trust in you. It can also make them less willing to give the ball back when you do throw it for them to catch.
as they can no longer trust you to share
3. Saying it’s okay
This probably seems a bit counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to trigger your pup’s anxiety might also be your first instinct when it comes to comforting them.
putting on your most calming voice and saying it’s okay
Dogs don’t understand English, no matter how much it may feel like your pooch understands every word you say.
They don’t know what the words it’s okay actually mean.
The best they can do is make a guess based on what context they usually hear those words in.
and the context that dogs usually hear is not a context in which things are usually feeling okay.
After a while, it became easy for a dog to start associating the words it’s okay with feeling anxious, and they may start assuming that hearing those words means that a situation actually is worth being anxious about.
4. Hugging
Dogs are so cute; sometimes you just want to give them a big hug, but that would be a mistake.
While humans will often appreciate a good hug, at least if it’s offered by somebody they know, it’s not something that dogs particularly enjoy.
As animals without arms, they never really evolved to hug each other, and without the concept of hugging as a social gesture, it just feels like a weird human has decided to entrap them with their arms.
Dogs don’t particularly like being restrained or closely confined.
A dog who has a very close bond with their humans might get to the stage where they can tolerate a hug, but it’s unlikely to be something that they ever enjoy.
5. Crouching Down
Crouching down when meeting a dog is a natural instinct for humans.
We know that we’re tall due to our upright gait and that this can be intimidating.
Crouching to make yourself shorter feels like a good way to tone down that intimidation factor and make things less scary.
especially if the dog isn’t one you’ve met before.
But for many dogs, crouching can feel even more intimidating than standing tall.
This is because predatory animals will typically crouch when they’re about to spring.
An animal that was planning on eating your dog or another dog that wanted to get into a fight would likely start by crouching down.
to a dog, therefore seeing a human crouch looks less like the comforting gesture it’s intended as and more like an outright threat.
6. Using the Crate as Punishment
A crate is a very useful thing to have around the house.
Dogs naturally find small, cozy, and comforting spaces, and humans often need a place to secure their pups while they tidy up or have guests round.
A dog’s crate should be a place where they can relax and cool down; it should be somewhere they’re happy to hang out in.
This can cause problems if a human decides to use the crate as a punishment.
Sending a dog to their crate when you’re mad or frustrated with them can teach them that the crate is a bad place and that being sent there means that they’re in trouble.
This can then cause them to feel guilty and anxious whenever they have to go in there, regardless of whether they’re actually in trouble.
7. Perfumes, Sprays, and Shampoos
Dogs stink. Sometimes they like to roll in stuff; they have bad breath, and sometimes they do killer farts.
It’s an unfortunate fact of dog ownership and one that has prompted the development and sale of all kinds of doggy perfumes, sprays, and shampoos to try and solve the problem.
The people who buy these probably don’t think too much about the impact it will have on their dog.
Or if they do, then they wrongfully assume that since the scent smells nice to a human nose, it must be the same for a pooch.
But this is not the case; a dog’s nose is a whopping 10,000 times more sensitive than that of a human.
meaning that what seems like a fairly subtle smell to us can be overwhelming to them.
Imagine if somebody forced you to douse yourself in two full bottles of perfume.
Even if you like the smell, you’d be sick of it after 5 minutes of being constantly surrounded by it.
8. Cutting Down Dog Walk
Humans have busy lives. chew toys Gourmet dog food, fancy beds, and tennis balls don’t pay for themselves.
and sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day for a full-time job and everything else a person wants to do.
In those circumstances, one of the activities that somebody might consider cutting down on is their dog’s walk.
After all, surely if anything, it’s better exercise for a dog to do their walk at a brisk pace rather than ambling along and stopping every 5 minutes to sniff something.
But that’s not the case. A dog’s walk isn’t just about giving their little legs a workout; it’s also about giving their mind some exercise.
Encountering new sights and smells on their daily walk gives a dog much-needed mental stimulation, and rushing them through can cause a negative impact on their mental health.
9. Forcing Eye Contact
Looking into a dog’s eyes can be a special moment.
Dogs often use direct eye contact to communicate strong emotions, including love for their humans.
If a dog regularly stares into their human’s eyes, then that is a sign of a deep bond between human and canine.
If the human tries to force that bond by taking the dog’s face in their hands and trying to force eye contact on the other hand, then that can risk causing severe damage to their relationship with their pet.
Firstly, because while dogs do use eye contact to communicate love and affection, they can also use it to communicate anger and aggression.
Your dog understands the subtleties of canine body language well enough to know which emotion they are conveying. You don’t.
secondly, because dogs don’t tend to like having their faces touched under any circumstances, but especially if they’re being restrained
10. Pushing the Dog Away
When a dog wants to show affection, they are likely to do it physically.
They’re not exactly up for writing their human love poem after all or buying them a bunch of flowers.
So wet, slobbery kisses and lap cuddles are really the only options they have.
But humans don’t always like being covered in dog hair and saliva or getting crushed under the weight of an overly affectionate St. Bernard.
Pushing a dog away when they’re trying to express affection, however, can have its own risks.
The dog may come to the conclusion that you’re pushing them away because you don’t want them to show you affection, which can lead to cracks in the bond between the two of you.
11. Forcing them to interact with guests
When guests come around, it’s natural that they might want to meet the dog, and equally, it’s natural that the host might want to show off their furry friend.
But forcing an interaction between guests and a dog can be a bad idea.
Dogs often don’t enjoy having their territories invaded by unfamiliar humans who don’t smell like they belong.
This is especially true if they happen to have brought their own dog with them.
A lot of people think it would be cute to arrange a doggy play day with their friends’ pets.
but it’s important to handle the introductions carefully rather than just sticking both dogs in the same room and hoping for the best.
12. Overcrowded Dog Park
A lot of dogs love spending the day at the dog park, but it can be a problem when too many of them choose the same dog park to hang out in.
An overcrowded dog park can cause a dog to feel overwhelmed and nervous and also increase their chances of having a negative interaction with another dog who is dealing with the same mix of emotions.
13. Yelling at the dog
This is something that most dog owners do at some point in their lives.
We all know we shouldn’t do it, but it can get frustrating when a dog is refusing to do what they’re told.
especially when they’re risking damaging something in the home or putting themselves in danger, it can be easy to give into frustration and yell.
But it’s important to avoid doing this.
Yelling at a dog will not only upset them, but depending on the behavior you’re having issues with, it can actually make the problem worse.
A dog whose poor behavior is caused by anger or anxiety, for example, is unlikely to respond to yelling by becoming less angry and anxious and therefore won’t become better behaved.
14. Scolding the Dog
Speaking of bad behavior When your dog misbehaves, it’s important to try and figure out the root cause of a behavior before you scold them for it.
If your dog is digging in the yard, for example, while you might want to try and find a way to channel those instincts in a way that doesn’t ruin your lawn, there’s no real point in punishing your pooch for it.
They’re a dog; that’s what they do.
You wouldn’t blame a fish for swimming right. This goes double if the problem is something linked to anxiety, like peeing indoors.
Punishing your dog for this can easily make them more anxious, which will make them do the behavior more, which will lead to them getting punished, and so on. Don’t get caught in the cycle.
15. Not praising them
Once a dog has been trained to do something in response to a specific command, they should be able to do it every time the command is given, regardless of whether they are getting a treat afterward.
But although it’s probably a good idea not to give dogs a food treat every time they come when called or sit on demand, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get rewarded.
A dog should always be given some indication that they’re doing a good job when they follow a command.
Whether it’s a delicious treat or some pets or just verbal praise
Not letting them know when they’ve been a good dog can cause them to give up on doing things on command altogether and may make them less willing to relearn later on.
16. Feeling Your Emotions
Dogs may not be mind readers as far as we know but sometimes, it can feel like they are when they start picking up on your emotions faster than Professor X.
Dogs can tell our emotions not only through our body language but also through our pheromones, which they smell through our sweat.
As such, it can be very hard to hide it when you’re feeling anxious around your dog.
and if they pick up on your anxiety, though, they are likely to start feeling anxious as well.
Your dog views you as all-powerful after all.
If a situation freaks you out, then they’re likely to assume that it must be incredibly dangerous to them.
17. Coming home late
Coming home late once in a while is sometimes unavoidable.
Traffic exists; meetings overrun; all sorts of things can happen, but our dogs don’t know that.
From their perspective, the only reason their beloved human could possibly be late is because they were tragically killed or because they decided to leave forever.
Dogs are very fond of routines; knowing what comes next helps soothe their anxiety and lets them know that they’re okay.
As a result, they can get very distressed when those routines are disrupted.
18. Touching them while sleeping
Ever heard the expression let sleeping dogs lie?
There’s a reason why it’s a saying.
As adorable as your dog may look when they’re curled up and snoozing on the couch, petting them while they’re unconscious can be a bad idea.
Waking a dog up while they’re asleep not only risks interrupting their nap, the ultimate crime, but for some dogs, it can also trigger something called a sleep startle.
Sleep startle is common in dogs who have gone for long periods without frequent human interaction, like racing greyhounds who are kept in kennels during their warm time or rescue dogs who spent time living wild on the streets.
When these dogs move into family homes, they can develop issues surrounding being touched while they’re asleep.
Even if they learn to trust their owners while they’re awake in the brief moments after waking, that trust goes out the window.
Dogs with sleep startle may fail to recognize their owners and might even bite them if they’re surprised while asleep.
19. Exposing them to fireworks
There’s no denying it. Fireworks are awesome. They’re loud, they’re bright, they’re colorful, and they’re shiny.
It’s no wonder that so many major celebrations include them as a matter of tradition, but for dogs, it’s a different story.
A dog’s hearing is four times more sensitive than ours.
As a result, what is already a very loud bang to us can feel almost deafening to them.
Furthermore, unlike us humans, dogs don’t actually know what fireworks are.
We now know that it’s just bright colors in the sky and that as long as the person letting them off is responsible, there shouldn’t be any danger.
But our dogs… from their perspective, the sky just randomly started exploding.
it’s hard to blame them for freaking out and assuming it’s the end times
If you know that there’s an event coming up in your area where fireworks are likely to be set off
You can help. Comfort your dog by keeping them inside and ideally trying to keep them in the middle of your home away from any windows so that they are further away from the noise
20. Allowing strangers to touch their tail
Perhaps the most famous expression of k9 happiness is the wagging tail but that happiness can quickly change to upset if an unsuspecting human should decide to try and pet that tail
It’s certainly an understandable impulse, especially when it comes to breeds like the Malamute and the Chow Chow, whose tails are so temptingly soft and floofy.
but most dogs will not enjoy the sensation.
A dog’s tail is actually very sensitive.
Although, contrary to popular belief, it’s not actually part of the spine, it is directly connected to it.
which means that a tail pull injury can very easily become a neurological problem due to the number of important nerves in that area of the body
As a result, dogs have evolved to be very wary of having this part of their body touched.
21. Asking them to catch a red dot
Laser pointers are famously popular with cats, who will chase them for ages, going crazy trying to get that little red dot.
But you might be surprised to learn that dogs will also chase lasers.
Why are they stereotyped as such a cat toy then?
You might be wondering why pet stores aren’t full of laser toys for pups as well as kitties.
Unfortunately, it’s because dogs have a tendency to get a little too obsessed with the laser pointer.
Remember, a lot of dogs have been bred, or in the case of mongrels, have ancestors who were bred to track objects.
Whether that be for hunting or fetching or hearing purposes, encouraging them to try and catch a red dot that can’t ever actually be captured can be anxiety-inducing for a lot of dogs.
Frequent exposure can even lead to the development of k9 obsessive compulsive disorder which can quickly become debilitating for you and your dog
If you found this blog post insightful be sure to share it with those out there that are still not aware of it
