Is Your Behavior Annoying Your Dog?
Posted on July 17, 2015 by Joy of Living No comments
The Spirit of Bo: Hi! Because Party Marty has had to work overtime since Jessie crossed over, I decided to give him a much-needed break and fill in on the blog today. I am happy to report that Jessie is adjusting well to her new life here in the spirit world, but she still needs more time to settle in. I highly suspect we will see her here on the blog again in the near future. She is chomping at the bit to throw a few cautionary words in Marty’s direction!
At any rate, Jessie is somewhat annoyed that she cannot be there in person to rule over Marty. I guess I will have to find a new “job” for her here. However, Jessie is not the only dog that gets annoyed. Did you know that you could inadvertently annoy your dog without realizing it? According to moderndogmagazine.com, there are several ways you may be upsetting your canine friend. Are you guilty of any of these? If so, you should think about changing your ways!
**Staring at your dog. While your dog may not consider you a threat, dogs do perceive staring as a call to arms, so to speak. He may be challenged by it, so word to the wise – just don’t do it!
**Hugging your dog. We get it. Dogs are huggable for the most part. How can you humans resist? But you must remember that dogs do not have an ancestral history of grasping each other as a means of showing affection, so you might want to back off a bit and know that dogs especially don’t enjoy hugs from strangers or kids. They may tolerate your hugs, but that doesn’t mean they will like them!
**Yelling at or around your dog. To dogs, your yelling is like angry barking. It can scare, frighten or agitate your dog. Instead of yelling, focus on your vocal tone. Adjust it to a deep tone to indicate you want his attention. Use a light-hearted, whimsical tone when you want to play.
**Teasing your dog. Did you try to move his dog dish “just for fun” while he was eating? Have you ever tugged at his ears or pulled his tail? Have you ever rough-housed with him or attempted to take a toy from him while he was playing with him? Would you like anyone to treat you that way? Enough said!
**Leaving your dog alone for extended periods of time. Dogs are pack animals. Your family is your dog’s pack. He craves his social time. If you leave him alone for several hours during the day, he can begin to exhibit behavioral and psychological issues such as separation anxiety, excessive barking, digging and destructive behaviors.
So…there you have it…Friday’s food for thought! Thanks for tuning in. Enjoy the weekend. I am going to go nudge Marty a bit and let him know Jessie is still keeping a watchful eye on him! That, I am sure, will annoy HIM!