Sunday, August 3, 2014

"things humans do that dogs hate"

"Dogs try to be our best friends, but boy do we ever make it difficult sometimes. Here are some of the things we do that might make dogs question whether they want to remain best buds or cut ties completely."
Using words more than body language
We’re a vocal species. We love to chatter away, even at our pets, who can’t understand the vast majority of what we’re saying. Dogs might be able to deduce what a few key words mean — walk, treat, toy, off — and maybe even learn hundreds of words as some border collies have done. But they can’t understand human language.

Hugging your dog
While you might love wrapping your arms around a furry canine friend, most dogs hate hugs. We as primates think hugs are awesome and express support, love, joy and other emotions through hugs. It’s
totally normal to us to wrap our arms around something and squeeze, and it only means good things. But dogs did not evolve this way.

Not providing structure and rules
Dogs want, need, and love having rules. You might think having strict rules makes life boring or unhappy for your dog. But dogs really want to know what’s what according to their leader. And really, it’s not so hard to relate as humans.

Going for walks without opportunity to explore and smell
There are walks, and there are walks. It’s definitely important to have a dog that knows how to walk obediently on a leash. However, it’s also important to allow a dog to have some time to explore her surroundings while walking obediently on a leash. Dogs see with their noses, and they place as much importance on their sense of smell as we humans place on our sense of vision for interpreting the world around us.

26 comments:

bagoh20 said...

Feeding them kibble: a tiny thimble of over-processed meat by-product rendered free of any flavor or nutrition mixed in with a bowl full of corn and spices. Same every day, nothing to really chew into or savor resulting in huge and numerous piles of crap that are also 99% grain. We are not f-ing cows. We like meat, bones, and chewing meaty stuff. A nice meaty rib bone to a dog is like a great book to a human. It can be savored through the separate chapters as it is devoured over time. Eventually when the end is reached there is true satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment, and satiated happiness drifts into peaceful sleep and dreams of tomorrow's dinner.

bagoh20 said...
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bagoh20 said...

Right now we have 9 dogs: Three Pit Bulls, Three Blue Heelers, a Boxer/Bulldog, an Australian Shepard and a German Shepard. All live together in peaceful harmony without incident. They eat dinner side by side and treat each other with respect. By comparison, we ain't so hot as a species.

Rabel said...

Bag, is there a pack leader (other than you)?

bagoh20 said...

The three Blue Heelers are two male puppies and their single dad. They showed up at my business a couple months ago when the puppies were very tiny. They are all purebred, and dad had a broken chain around his neck, so I suspect a daring escape from a breeder. They lived feral in a large bush behind my factory, where neither the dog catcher or anybody else could get them. Eventually over many weeks we gained their confidence and captured them. They were so scared of people that they crapped all over us when we grabbed them. Now they are really coming around, and are becoming regular companion dogs.

chickelit said...

Those observations are all spot on. I walk our dog first thing every morning. It's always an off leash romp in a vacant land behind the houses across the street. Sometimes she acts weird and hesitates, depending on the recent history: encounters with other dogs, people and smells.

bagoh20 said...

Rabel,

My female German Shepard (Spirit) is the clear alpha. Without doing anything, she just a presence and authority that every dog I bring home instantly gets. They always respect her, and she instantly shuts down any serious disagreement between the others. She is just amazing. Usually very calm and unassuming, but a real assassin when she lays down the law. My 3 year old female Pit Bull got too feisty when playing last week, and she went to stop it as she usually does, but the Pit would not submit. Spirit just grabbed her by the head and slammed her on her back and held her there until I finally took her off. Without her, I would never be able to have these dogs here all loose together like I do.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Dogs hate when you leave them. They don't understand being left alone. Time has no meaning.

When you are gone for more than 8 hours I'm pretty sure they assume you are dead. That's why they are so overjoyed to see you alive when you come home from work.

bagoh20 said...

I used to have webcams set up at my house so I could watch my dogs at home when I was at work. I found that they do absolutely nothing when you are gone. They sleep the entire time, and only wake up for a few minutes to take a leak, walk a short distance, and then go back to sleep. I hate to leave them behind too, but I have too many to take with me. I usually take two or three to work, and on hiking trips in the mountains. I feel terrible though leaving the others behind. They just love going anywhere.

bagoh20 said...

Even dogs know the value of having strong leadership, and the danger of its vacuum.

bagoh20 said...

The one about body language is very true. When meeting and controlling dogs, it's all in keeping the energy level controlled, so as Cesar Milan says "no touching, no talking, no eye contact", and it really does work. We almost always raise their energy, and make things worse with our human ideas of communication. If your dogs jump all over you and go nuts a lot, try ignoring them with no sounds or touching or eye contact and they just act much calmer.

ricpic said...

"Dogs hate hugs."

I refuse to show affection by sniffing Fido's anus!

Aridog said...

Everything Bagoh20 has said is gospel. Trust me or not at your peril. Full stop. And I have adopted wolf-hybrids, and full blooded wolves. An no, I do not sniff their butts...but I am the alpha. Since I lost "Ari" to cancer, and "Dera" near 10, one day soon I will need another dog...and I very likely will ask Bagoh20 for that dog...the transport is not an issue. I cannot live without a dog. No dog and I die.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

My dog hates it when I give her a bath.

That on the list?

Rabel said...

I agree with Bag and Ari with respect to full size dogs.

My being the Big Dog made them happy with their daily life - a GS, an Aussie and a Springer Spaniel all long gone to doggie heaven. The Springer, my favorite, occasionally needed to be reminded of the pecking order.

However, I have been mastered in the last few years by the 10 pounds of fury pictured in my sig.

And I am quite happy in my beta role as long as the routine remains regular and I am allowed to keep a fair share of the meals.

This may all be because she is my first female and - hey! come to think of it, I'm seeing a pattern here.

The Dude said...

A longtime friend, over 40 years now, posted a picture on FB today of a dog her family had many years ago. It was a purebred Irish Setter - and while they have a reputation these days, this particular dog was a descendent (I think grandson) of King Timahoe, Nixon's beloved dog.

I have been fortunate to have spent time around some wonderful dogs, but this one was something else again - he would round up a herd of cattle by himself and herd them into the chute or barn. What a blur of red he was, streaking across the fields, making sure the cattle knew who was in charge and where they were supposed to go.

Funny how just seeing a picture can bring back such memories of a wonderful dog. All these years on I still miss him.

I am with Ari - I must have a dog. It is difficult dealing with end of life issues, theirs and mine, but I will figure out something.

deborah said...

Hugging my dogs is symbiotic. I give gentle hugs while scratching their ears.

ndspinelli said...

Dogs need to run, not just walk. You gotta take them somewhere they can run. And they should not be fed human food, only quality dog food.

ndspinelli said...

DBQ, and children until they're ~2 assume you are gone forever when you leave.

rcocean said...

that's the great thing about Cats. They don't give a crap. Just clean their litter box, give them their food, and a belly rub now and then. And they're happy.

Cats are like liberals. Its all about them. And sometimes, that's a good thing.

rcocean said...

BTW, dogs are pack animals. So you shouldn't really get ONE dog and leave them alone. Get two dogs, or stay around most of the time. As Kipling said:

For the strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf.

ndspinelli said...

Dogs also hate being obsessively photographed.

The Dude said...

LOL Nick - someone had to go there. Glad it wasn't me, just sayin'...

Amartel said...

rc-my cat goes into mourning every time he sees the suitcase come out. He's waiting at the door when I come home. I don't know about comparing animals to political parties. Let's keep the animals out of it, okay?

deborah said...

When my son and I moved my daughter's bedroom furniture to her new place her cat moved into the bathroom.

I am to bring her cat to her new place soon. I fear for the cat's sanity; she is an inside cat who once climbed the outside of the house to get back in when she fell out of the window. I feel she is like a hermit crab and this is her shell. But the living in the bathroom thing makes me feel better about displacing her.

Unknown said...

My cat is an NRA member.
She's no lib.


Dogs - Please don't get me as a cut puppy and then ignore me as I get older. I need love all life-long.
In fact, just take me to Bagoh's house. He gets it.