Five things many dog owners inadvertently do to annoy their dogs

Every dog owner of course wants to care for their dogs in the best way possible, and ensure that all of their needs, such as physical and emotional, are met. The keys to a happy life with a happy dog include a good regular routine, adequate training, enough exercise, good food, and appropriate veterinary care when needed. How each and every dog owner goes about fulfilling each of these needs can vary considerably, but all of them are striving towards the same goal: Keeping their dogs happy and healthy by providing excellent care.

However, with the best will in the world, communication between dogs and people can be complex, and the body language and moods on both sides of the species divide can often be easy to misconstrue or misunderstand. If you’re doing something that your dog doesn’t like or that doesn’t really meet their needs properly, your dog cannot simply tell you this or leave you a note; so it is up to you as a dog owner to do everything that you can to ensure that the way you treat your dog, act around your dog and care for your dog are done for the good of your dog.

In this article, we will look at five common, everyday things that many dog owners do, which may actually annoy your dog or make them unhappy. Read on to learn more about five things that many dog owners inadvertently do that annoy their dogs!

1. Being too noisy

Dogs can themselves be noisy animals, with plenty of barking, howling and general canine chatter! However, this does not mean that dogs necessarily enjoy living in a rowdy, noisy environment, and a lot of yelling (even if good spirited), loud voices and hollering may well put your dog on edge.

Dogs’ sense of hearing encompasses a range twice as high as that of people, and dogs can hear many high-frequency sounds that we as people totally miss. This means that certain noises that sound innocuous to us will really bother your dog, and also that loud TV’s, radios and other equipment will be heard much more acutely by your dog than by yourself.

2. Bathing too frequently

Every dog needs a bath now and again, and many dogs that need a lot of upkeep will make regular trips to a grooming parlour for a bath and trim every few weeks.

However, your dog should not be bathed weekly or at set schedules just for the sake of routine; only bathe your dog when they are dirty, smelly, or for a good reason.

While many dogs enjoy baths, some don’t like them at all, and even for dogs that do like a scrub in the tub, bathing too often will strip essential oils from your dog’s coat, which can lead to dry, uncomfortable skin and possibly, dandruff.

3. Forcing social interaction

If you have a new puppy, you’ve probably got a whole bunch of friends who are just itching to meet it, play with it and give it some love! While social interaction and getting to meet a whole variety of different people is important for dogs, particularly when they are young, being faced with too many people at once, or not having any time to themselves, can have a deleterious effect on your dog’s general mood and wellbeing.

You should never force your dog to interact with someone when they don’t want to, and if your dog backs off or leaves a social interaction because they have had enough, always let them go and permit them to make use of a quiet, personal space where they will not be bothered.

4. Not getting the exercise balance right

All dogs need exercise, but not all dogs need the same amount of exercise! A slow, heavy breed such as the Basset hound will not enjoy a five mile jog, while a lively, fun-loving dog like the Siberian husky will never thrive with one half hour walk a day.

Much dog advice is written about the perils of too little exercise for dogs, but it can go the other way too, and there is such a thing as too much exercise, or providing the wrong sort of exercise for the age, breed and energy levels of your dog.

Make sure that you develop an exercise routine that suits your dog’s personality, age, fitness levels and lifestyle, rather than seeking out a catch-all formula to tell you how often and how far to walk your dog.

5. Making mealtimes stressful

Dinnertime is probably your dog’s favourite time of the day, and is something that they look forwards to with great gusto! Your dog may have gulped down half of their meal before you have even managed to place their bowl on the floor, and few dogs show much reluctance to eat, but there are a whole range of factors that can lead to stress and anxiety when it comes to feeding times as well.

Make sure that your dog is reliably fed at the same times each day, and that they are given their food somewhere quiet and relaxing, where they can take their time over eating without being bothered.

While it is a good idea to train your dog to accept their bowl being taken away from them if you need to do this, you should normally leave your dog well alone when they are eating, and not mess with their food or try to take it away from them without a very good reason.