Dogs are, without a doubt, the best and most loyal friends a man could have. Our furry animals are always ready to accompany us on all our adventures and misadventures, without the need to speak to make us feel that they perfectly understand each of our moods.
However, there are some things that dogs hate about human beings, either because it causes them discomfort or because they do not understand our way of acting and showing affection on many occasions. If we dedicate ourselves to better understand the language and communication of our dogs, we will know how to identify their preferences and express our affection in a way that they too can enjoy and reciprocate.
At we always invite you to learn tips and curiosities about dogs to help you care for and better relate to your dog. On this occasion, we invite you to discover the 12 things you should not do with your dog to respect his will and needs, and offer him an excellent quality of life. Do not miss it!
1. Not respecting the basic freedoms of animal welfare
Like us, dogs need to have certain basic freedoms and rights in order to enjoy a healthy, dignified and happy life. Knowing and respecting the 5 freedoms of animal welfare will be the fundamental pillar on which you can build a positive relationship with your furry, based on trust and mutual affection. Therefore, ignoring their basic needs and rights is definitely one of the things you should not do with your dogs.
The 5 freedoms of animal welfare are:
- Free from thirst, hunger and malnutrition
- Free from discomfort
- Free from pain and disease
- Free to express yourself
2. Get angry because your dog is a dog
Yes, your dog will jump on you when you return home and get your clothes dirty. Yes, he will drool the house, the couch and even your face, and you will have to clean while he looks at you with the most innocent face on the planet. Yes, puppies can chew on some of your shoes, socks, and even furniture because their teeth are growing, or because they are not used to being home alone. Yes, your dog will smell like a dog because his body is different from ours and if you bathe him excessively you will harm his health. Yes, your dog will smell the ass of other dogs to socialize, he will want to go for a walk every so often, he will ask you for caresses and he will want to sleep with you to feel safe…
In short, your dog will be a dog and the only thing he will ever do is: ask your permission to love you unconditionally… Dogs are like that and, for that very reason, they are always authentic and absolutely charming when expressed. Sometimes, you will need to take five or ten minutes, take a deep breath and calm down… But you should never get angry, much less punish or reprimand your best friend for being what he is: a dog!
3. Humanize him or want to change his way of being
As we mentioned in the previous section, your dog is a dog, not a person, much less a baby. This does not mean that a species is superior or inferior, but that each one has its own organism, its own personality and, consequently, its own needs. Although it may seem that a humanized dog has many “luxuries and royalties”, the truth is that this dog suffers because it cannot express itself freely.
As guardians, it is our most beautiful mission and responsibility to learn to respect and love our dogs for their own way of being, in all their similarities and differences with human beings. Of course, it is perfect that you dedicate time and treat your furry with all the love and affection you have to give them, but always remember that humanizing a dog means not respecting the needs of their body and mind.
4. Allowing him everything and not educating him correctly
When adopting a dog, you should be aware that, in addition to loving, pampering and having fun with him, you will also need to educate him. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that education is an essential part of responsible tenure. And, very often, we see dogs being abandoned by their relatives for presenting behavioral problems, which are almost always associated with bad education and poor socialization.
Educating your dog will allow you to teach him the rules of the home to promote a healthy and safe coexistence for all members of the house. In this way, you can prevent numerous behavior problems and domestic accidents. But that’s not all: training is, ultimately, the best exercise you can give your best friend to stimulate him physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially.
5. Punish him physically or emotionally
Erroneously, humanity has believed for many years that physical or emotional punishment would have some educational function. But fortunately, today we already know that any form of violence is totally counterproductive for the learning of all species.
If we want to train a dog, we should never resort to physical force, much less psychological humiliation. Hitting your dog, punishing him, locking him up, yelling at him, offending him, scolding him … All these “techniques” (which are not educational at all) expose your dog to very negative emotions, such as fear and stress . A dog that is fearful, frightened and does not trust its owner will not only have enormous difficulties concentrating and learning, but may also adopt a defensive posture and even attack when threatened.
Therefore, punishments of any nature are dangerous and totally counterproductive in the education of your furry. To teach him, opt for positive reinforcement that will stimulate his physical, cognitive and emotional abilities, as well as help strengthen the bond between you.
6. Abandon it, lock it up or ignore it
The abandonment of dogs and other pets is a sad reality that we live in our day to day. In the vast majority of cases, abandonment can be avoided if we all create awareness when adopting a pet.
A dog is an intelligent and sensitive animal that requires time and space to develop properly. In addition, to feed it, take it to the vet, vaccinate it, deform it and provide other essential care, such as oral hygiene, toys to stimulate it physically and mentally, objects to walk and provide well-being (leash, muzzle, etc.), it will also be necessary to have a certain economic solvency. Therefore, adopting a dog requires prior planning and a lot of responsibility.
But there is another form of abandonment, as cruel as the previous one … If you do not pay attention to the needs of your dog, if you are always too busy to share with him, if you lock him up and prevent him from having the magnificent experience of discovering the world with his own senses, if you ignore his physical and emotional needs, or if you do not provide the care he requires to be healthy and happy, you are also abandoning your dog.
Therefore, take him for a walk with you, give him a caress and let him sleep next to you or near you, tell him how much you love him and admire him, prepare a homemade and very tasty meal to satisfy his appetite … Simply, do not miss the opportunity to return a little of the infinite love that your dog is prepared to give you every day.
7. Having fun causing negative emotions
There are many curious things that dogs do that can make us curious and even make us laugh. But we should not make our dog uncomfortable, nervous or angry just to have fun for a moment. In reality, exposing our best friends to contexts of high stress, fear or anxiety should not be so funny … If your dog does not like you blowing him or feels uncomfortable when you try to hug him, simply respect him and do not do it.
Your best friend loves to have fun in your company and you have thousands of entertaining activities to propose: you can play sports with him, take him for walks or travel with you, teach him tricks or fun tasks, and even prepare homemade intelligence games to stimulate the mind of your dog.
8. Take him to the vet only when he’s sick
Logically, if you observe changes in your dog’s behavior or appearance, you should not hesitate before taking him to the veterinary clinic. However, it is also essential to make preventive visits to the vet every six months to check the health of your furry. It will also be essential to respect his vaccination letter and deform him periodically.
All dogs, whether mixed or of a defined breed, need and deserve to have adequate preventive medicine to keep them free from diseases and behavior problems. Remember also that complete and balanced nutrition, proper physical and mental stimulation, reinforced oral hygiene, and a safe and positive environment are essential to preserve the good health of your best friend.
9. Scold you hours after doing something inappropriate
When you scold your dog, you make him experience a context of high stress, fear and anxiety. These emotions have a very negative impact on your mental health and, consequently, on your behavior. As a result, many dogs lose control over their own reactions and may carry out involuntary acts, such as urinating, when you scold them.
If you have recently adopted a dog, you should be especially aware of these behaviors, as they can be a sign that the dog has not been properly socialized or has suffered physical and emotional abuse.
Also, if you scold your dog for something that happened hours or days ago, he will not be able to understand the reason for your anger and this situation will generate a lot of mistrust. So, feeling frustrated about not understanding what you want to say or ask, your dog may bark at you when you scold him , to calm you down and say something like “enough, I don’t understand what you’re doing but I don’t want conflict with you.”
10. Give him inappropriate or dangerous foods
Providing a complete and balanced diet means not only taking care of your health, but also respecting the needs of your body and mind. Your furry needs to eat in a balanced way to develop properly and to be able to enjoy an active and happy life in your company.
There are many forbidden foods for dogs that we usually consume regularly, such as chocolate, sugar, salt, and even certain fruits and vegetables that can be toxic to our best friends. In addition, your body is not prepared to assimilate fried foods, industrialized foods or artificial sweets (candies, chewing gums, etc.)
11. Deprive you of having a healthy social life
Dogs are highly sociable animals that enjoy having the opportunity to interact with other dogs, express their curiosity and discover new stimuli, while exercising their senses. For this reason, for most dogs, walks are one of the happiest moments of their days.
If you deprive your best friend of interacting with other dogs, with other people and even animals of other species, you will not be giving him the opportunity to develop his cognitive, emotional and social skills. In addition, it is very important that your dog learns to relate in a positive way with other individuals, with the stimuli of its environment and with its own territory, avoiding that they are aggressive or fearful in social interaction.
The socialization of the dog is a key part of their education, since it gives them the possibility of living and interacting with other individuals with security and self-confidence. Although the ideal is to start socializing a dog as a puppy, it is also possible to carry out a socialization process in adult dogs, always with patience and the help of positive reinforcement.
12. Give up helping him with a behavior problem
All dogs, regardless of their breed, sex or age, can develop certain behavior problems throughout their lives. If you educate and socialize your dog correctly from puppy hood and provide him with the appropriate care and adequate preventive medicine, you can prevent an infinity of unwanted behaviors. However, you should not give up on your dog if he has a behavioral problem at a certain point in his life.
A behavior problem in a dog is not a permanent sentence, much less does it indicate a character flaw. It is simply a sign that something is wrong with your body or mind. Therefore, when identifying that your dog’s character has changed, if he is more aggressive or more nervous than usual, the first thing you should do is take him quickly to the veterinary clinic.
The veterinarian will be able to verify his state of health and will try to discover if the behavioral alterations have a pathological cause. Many diseases that cause intense pain or interfere with the senses of dogs, as well as hormonal disturbances, can cause behavior problems. When diagnosing any pathology, the professional will be able to recommend an appropriate treatment. But if any pathological cause is ruled out, it is best to seek an ethologist or canine educator.
Much of the behavior problems in our furry dogs can be treated with the help of an ethologist veterinarian and a canine educator. Therefore, do not give up, because now he needs you more than ever to overcome a difficult moment and regain his self-confidence. Without a doubt, he will also be by your side when you need a friend…
