13 Things People Do That Dogs Hate

Your dog is your best friend in the entire world, so it's only natural to want to give them all your love and affection. But your pup might secretly hate some of the things you do without you ever knowing. Looking into their human-like eyes, it's easy to forget that canines are actually quite different from us both in their preferences and the way they express discomfort.

Even some gestures intended to show your pup how much they mean to you – like giving them hugs or patting them on the head – are actually more likely to make them feel anxious. In addition, you might not understand that your dog yawning or licking their lips doesn't necessarily mean they're tired or hungry. Both are frequently overlooked signs of canine stress. By understanding these nuanced behaviors, you'll be able to communicate better with your pup and develop an even closer bond.

When making conversation with another human, it's generally considered impolite to avoid making eye contact. But in the canine world, things are exactly the opposite: too much staring down is rude, while averting one's gaze is thought to be more polite. This is because dogs may interpret prolonged eye contact as an attempt to assert dominance.

Even if your dog is extremely comfortable around you, staring at them for too long is likely to make them feel uncomfortable. You may notice them look away after a few seconds of eye contact in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. Unfamiliar dogs with reactive tendencies, however, might feel threatened enough that they feel the need to defend themselves physically. Failing to respect their boundaries could lead to an unfortunate incident that puts your safety at risk.

If you encounter a dog you've never met, avoid dangerous situations by looking slightly off to the side and allowing them to approach you — don't force an interaction. If they growl, bark, or lunge towards you, back away gently to reassure them that they're not in danger. In the event that you do notice a dog staring intensely at you, proceed with caution; this subtle body language could be the first warning sign that they don't feel comfortable being approached.

Endless research has shown that dogs are creatures of habit who crave routine. Major life shifts that interrupt this schedule – like moving to a new house or bringing home a baby, for example – often bring out sudden behavior changes in previously well-mannered dogs. If your pup begins to bark or whine, have accidents, or destroy your belongings in the midst of a big change, it's important to understand why they're upset and how you can ease the transition.

In a world where dogs don't speak the language, having a steady routine is the only way for them to know what time they'll eat breakfast or that you'll be home from work at the end of the day. The reason these life changes cause so much stress is that they no longer understand when or if these things will happen. If you start a new job with later hours, for example, your poor pup might assume you've left permanently when you fail to walk through the door at your previously scheduled time.

Big life changes are unavoidable, but you can make them smoother for your four-legged family member by keeping as much of their old routine the same as possible. When moving to a new house, try to maintain an identical schedule for walks and meal times to help them feel reassured. If you do need to make a major timing change, aim for a slow transition, making adjustments one hour at a time.

Many humans love hugging their canine companions. Unfortunately, according to science, dogs don't feel the same way. To study this, teams of animal behaviorists have examined social media images of humans hugging their pooches to see whether the dogs show signs of stress. The results of this analysis consistently show that at least four out of five dogs don't feel comfortable receiving hugs and as few as one in ten are fully okay with the embrace, per Psychology Today.

While hugs may bring humans a sense of calm, they make most dogs feel trapped and anxious. Since dogs typically only pin each other to the ground when fighting, their natural instinct is to interpret your hug as an attempt to assert dominance or display aggression. They're unfortunately quite unlikely to understand that your embrace is intended to communicate love and affection.

If you're still convinced your pup is one of the rare anomalies who can't get enough hugs from their favorite human, try looking in a mirror the next time you wrap your arms around your pup and observe carefully for stress indicators. Keep in mind that dogs show emotion differently from humans, so it might be hard to read your canine's body language. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, subtle signs to look for include yawning, blinking, panting, visible whites of eyes, tail tucking, changes in ear placement, or turning away.

Patting a pup on the head and telling them "good dog!" is an age-old trope that seems to have permeated media and culture since the beginning of time. Until recently, it seems, no one had bothered to ask the dogs how they felt about these gestures. Canine behavior experts now strongly advise against patting dogs on the head after discovering they enjoy it much less than previously thought.

Like many other actions that get lost in translation between canine and human behavioral codes, dogs are biologically wired to perceive head pats as a threatening gesture. Approaching a dog and immediately bending down to pat them on the head could easily trigger a reactive pup and result in a bite. A better plan is to carefully lower yourself to their level and let them sniff your hand before gently touching them from below and to the side, not above. If your dog ducks their head down when having their head touched in any way, it's probably best to show your affection through gestures that feel better to them, such as gentle shoulder or neck scratches.

No one enjoys being yelled at, but dogs are even more affected by it than most people. First and foremost, dogs have incredibly sensitive hearing that is about four times more powerful than the human ear. This is what makes them excellent at tasks like hunting, guarding, and serving as medical alert service dogs. On the flip side, their tolerance for loud noises is about 20 dB lower than what humans can withstand. Continued exposure to loud noises can lead to hearing loss later in life.

Research also shows that yelling affects dogs' mental health and causes them to experience long-term stress. A 2020 study published in PLOS One showed that dogs trained with aversive methods like yelling had significantly higher levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in their saliva compared to those trained exclusively using positive reinforcement. Yelling when a dog does something wrong has also been observed to negatively impact their training progress.

People naturally tend to pull their dog's leash tighter in order to feel more control, especially in stressful situations. However, this action only serves to communicates stress. It's likely to cause the opposite of its intended effect, putting the canine into fight or flight mode and making them more reactive than they would be on a loose leash. Pups with a history of reactivity might even act out aggressively if their leash is pulled too tight.

Holding a dog's leash too tight can also impact their physical health over time. It causes their collar to put pressure on both the thyroid gland and the vagus nerve, paving the way to potential hypothyroidism and nervous system disorders. In the most severe cases, years of walking on a tight leash can even cause tracheal collapse, a condition that leads to breathing difficulties and eventual respiratory failure. Small dogs are particularly susceptible to tracheal damage from leashes.

Canines with poor leash manners often pull on the leash themselves, unknowingly causing themselves to feel stressed and damaging their own health. This is solvable with training. You can teach your dog to stop pulling on their leash by refusing to step forward any time they begin to pull during a walk. With consistency, they'll eventually learn that they only way to continue the walk is to stop pulling.

A dog's paws are one of the most sensitive parts of their body as well as one of the most important. Since their ancestors relied on their paws for survival skills like digging, hunting, and defending themselves, they tend to instinctively feel protective of them and dislike having them touched. They also use their paws for balance.

If you've trained your dog to shake or give high fives, don't worry – they've probably grown to associate brief paw touching with a positive reward. However, you should always try to execute these behaviors with an open hand and avoid grabbing or squeezing your pup's paws during the shake. This allows them to feel more at ease by knowing they aren't trapped and can remove their paw at any time. Never grab a dog's paw while they're standing on all fours.

Nail trimming is a bit trickier. While almost certain to be an uncomfortable experience for your pup, regular nail clipping is vital to their health. The dangers of long nails in dogs, such as injuries, arthritis, and joint problems, far outweigh any discomfort they may feel. You can teach your dog to feel more relaxed during trims by slowly working up to it over time and giving them plenty of treats and praise.

Barking at your dog may seem funny to humans; there was even a popular TikTok trend that involved yapping in a pup's direction and filming their reaction. But animal behaviorists warn that these jokes are anything but funny to the unsuspecting dogs involved. Not only is it cruel, it also could cause a potentially dangerous situation if they feel threatened enough. "At worst, you run the risk a dog will respond in a reflexively defensive manner, which might result in a bite to the face," Ryan Neile, head of behavior services at U.K. pet charity Blue Cross, explained to Newsweek. "A very real and possible consequence ... is that you get hurt, and your dog might end up losing their home or even their life."

Since dogs are unable to tell the difference between a prank and genuine behavior, they're wired to view any type of barking as an aggressive gesture. In the "bark at your dog" videos posted online, many can be observed showing clear signs of stress: becoming stiff, widening their eyes, moving their ears back, and leaning away. Some even bare their teeth to demonstrate how threatened they feel. If you've made a habit of barking at your dog during playtime, consider putting a stop to the behavior, as it's likely ruining the fun for your pup.

Dogs and people have vastly different sleeping behaviors. Most notably, canines spend the overwhelming majority of their day snoozing – 12 to 18 hours, in fact. But this is far from the only difference. Instead of getting all their sleep in one overnight session, dogs tend to take shorter naps throughout the course of the day. They also spend much less time than humans in REM stage, the deepest part of the sleep cycle.

The reason for these differences is simple: dogs evolved with an instinct to defend themselves from predators, even while asleep. Even though your pup is unlikely to face anything more threatening than a vacuum cleaner while dozing on the sofa, waking them up too suddenly can still trigger a biological response to danger. On top of feeling unpleasant, it can also cause sleep startle, an instinct that puts them into fight or flight mode and may result in aggressive behavior. If you do need to get your dog up from a nap, all you need to do is call their name softly and give them a few seconds to awaken peacefully. However, you should avoid disturbing them at all if you can help it.

If you come home to find a puddle of pee or a soggy shoe on the floor, it's natural to automatically want to turn around and scold your dog. But science suggests a better approach is to quietly clean up the mess and not say anything at all. Punishing prior behavior is unlikely to be effective for several reasons, first and foremost because your dog won't be able to grasp that you're upset over an event that already passed. Unable to understand what caused your sudden change in behavior, they'll become confused and feel scared of you.

A more effective approach involves a combination of immediate rewards and positive reinforcement. Instead of yelling at your dog when you discover an accident, for example, take them outside frequently and give them praise and a tasty treat the moment after they go to the bathroom. To discourage destructive chewing, supply them with plenty of attractive chew toys and give rewards for playing with them. Eventually they'll learn what makes you happy and follow their desire to please you.

Scents like lemon, orange, and grapefruit are popular candle and air freshener choices for humans. However, they smell terrible to most dogs. Experts even compare dogs' hatred of citrus scents to the way humans feel about smelling trash. For this reason, lemon juice and citrus oil are popular ingredients in homemade chewing deterrent sprays to keep your dog away from plants, furniture, and other items.

If you love using citrus scented candles and air fresheners to make your home smell crisper, consider finding a new aroma for the sake of your pup. Remember that your dog's sense of smell is about 10,000 times better than yours and what seems like a light scent to you feels like an overpowering odor to them. Suggested dog-friendly alternatives from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals include lavender, chamomile, frankincense, and cedarwood.

Spending the whole day being a couch potato with your dog might sound fun to you, but if it their activity needs are being neglected in the process, they probably hate it. Dogs require daily exercise and stimulation and are likely to grow bored if the humans in the house have their eyes glued to a screen for hours on end. Bored dogs are more likely to chew up your belongings, whine or bark incessantly, and have accidents indoors.

Most dogs love curling up next to their human on the sofa, but this should only happen once their physical and mental stimulation needs have been satisfied. Before you plop down with the remote, set some time aside for a long walk or game of fetch. You can also make your pup's day more enriching by setting up a puzzle game so they have something to do while you catch up on your favorite show.

Dogs in cute costumes might make great social media content, but many pups hate wearing them. Costumes are prone to cause anxiety by making your canine feel trapped and restricted. Some may put pressure on the sensitive areas they feel particularly protective of, including their head, paws, and tail. Forcing your pup into a costume on Halloween can further compound the stress of a holiday that already makes them feel overstimulated with lots of unfamiliar noises and strangers knocking at the door. "If you're not sure if your pet enjoys being dressed up, then it's better to err on the side of your pet's comfort, assume that they do not enjoy it, and not dress up your pet," Dr. Andrea Tu, medical director at Behavior Vets NYC, advised The Dodo.

Every dog is different, so a select few may be perfectly fine with wearing a costume and even revel in the extra attention they receive while wearing it. If you're going to have your dog participate in the family Halloween costume, make sure the outfit doesn't cover their face or head or restrict their movement in any way. Let them wear it a few times before the big day to get adjusted to the new smells and sensations. Most importantly, be prepared to abandon the idea if your dog shows any signs of stress or discomfort and don't try to put it back on if they take it off themselves.