12 Things We Do That Our Dogs Hate: A Pooch's Point of View!

Woof! Welcome back, human friends. It’s great to speak to you again.

You know I don’t like being the bearer of bad news, but there are some things you do that us dogs don’t like. Even though we love our pet parents, there are just some things dog’s hate!

Of course, we know that sometimes humans don’t realize that something normal for them can worry us, but that’s why I’m here to let you know what to look out for. As dogs, we can be sensitive, and there are certain things we like and certain things we do not. If we don’t react the way you expect us to, maybe we’re not enjoying it as much as you think we are.

What Do Dogs Not Like?

There is quite a long list of things we dogs don’t like, and some might surprise you. However, it’s not because we’re grumpy—we simply like predictability and having the ability to make our own choices.

I also know that all dogs can be different. Some of my furry friends like things that I don’t like, so it’s important as a pet parent to always look at your dog’s body language to see if they’re uncomfortable. I have also added some photos to help you see how dogs look when they are uncomfortable, such as having our ears pinned back or our inner eyebrow raised.

After asking around at the park and at my pup play dates, I have created a list of a few things to help you humans learn about what dogs do not like.

1. Loud noises

Although our barks can sometimes be loud (sorry about that!), dogs don’t like unexpected loud noises. Much like humans, sudden loud noises or movements can startle us and make us feel on edge. We also have very sensitive hearing, so even quiet sounds can sound quite loud to us.

From speaking to my friends and from my personal experience, some noises that dogs hate include:

• Vacuum cleaners
• Thunderstorms
• Fireworks
• Alarms and sirens

So, next time you get the vacuum cleaner out, just be conscious of us or even move us into another room for a bit. If there are other loud noises going on, I find that my favourite toys and some music to muffle the sound really helps. Oh, and treats, of course!

2. Hugging

Us dogs love to be loved—after all, we are our humans’ best friends. However, when asked, “do dogs like hugs?” our answer would usually be no. Although humans hug each other to show affection, we think hugs are restricting and can make us feel uncomfortable.

When you’re hugging your dog, make sure to look at our body language because that can tell you a lot!

There may be signs that we are relaxed, or there may be other things that show we are uncomfortable, such as leaning away, lip licking, showing the whites of our eyes (known as whale eye), or shaking after you let go. If our body language is subtly telling you we aren’t relaxed, then we may not be enjoying the hug as much as you think.

Leaning into you is our way of hugging, so instead of hugging us, we like it when you pet our favourite spot or hold us loosely so we can easily move away.

3. Not sticking to the rules

We dogs are sticklers for the rules, so we don’t like it when they change. Having clear and consistent rules helps us understand what our humans expect from us. Having different rules for different people can lead to confusion and stress for us. For example, if you sometimes let us on the sofa and sometimes you don't, this sends us mixed signals about what we’re allowed to do.

When you’re training us, it’s important to always stick to the same rules and signals, as this helps us know what we need to do and when.

4. Staring

Another thing dogs hate is when you stare at us. Don’t get me wrong, we appreciate a loving gaze of affection, but a hard and direct stare can be uncomfortable! When someone gives us dogs a direct stare, especially strangers, we can feel challenged, and it can make us feel threatened.

If you’re a stranger approaching a pup, try not to come at us head on whilst staring. Instead, we prefer a side on approach. If you accompany this with a little look to the side of us and a gentle voice, then we can be friends!

5. Strong smells

Just like our ability to hear from far away, a dog’s sense of smell is quite impressive too. In fact, we can smell our humans from as far as 20 km away!

Our sense of smell means that having lots of air fresheners and candles with strong scents can smell even stronger for us. Smells that dogs hate in their home include strong or citrus scents, as we can find them overpowering. It’s also important to remember that we don’t like scented things being sprayed on us, so when you’re using hairspray, air fresheners, or perfume, try and use it away from us.

6. Dressing us up

I know dressing us up in costumes can be fun for humans and great for Instagram, but we aren’t fans of fancy dress. I have a wonderful coat, if I do say so myself, and dressing me up can make me feel restricted. Clothing with moving parts can make us feel uncomfortable, and we may not like the feel or smell of it. Being dressed up can also affect our ability to use our body language to show you how we’re really feeling, so make sure to bear this in mind.

Of course, there are times when we may need to wear something, such as a winter jacket (especially when walking outside in the cold and snow!). It can take time and effort for our humans to gently work with us to help us accept wearing a costume, so patience is key. When putting a winter jacket or hi-vis jacket on us, check whether they fit comfortably, and we can happily move while wearing them.

7. Not letting us sniff on walks

Sniffing on walks is our way of exploring our environment, so not letting us sniff can take away from our adventure. For us, walks aren’t just physical—they also provide mental stimulation and can be the most exciting part of our day!

We know that our humans are busy, and sometimes walks must be quick. All the same, when you can, it’s great to allow us time to stop and sniff. Even if it’s the same walk we do every day, there will be lots of new information left by others for us to detect. Dragging us away from a place we want to sniff would be like us dragging our humans away from their favourite shop. Frustrating, right?

8. Shouting

Although we can’t understand the words our humans are saying, we can understand the emotion behind it and can recognize when they are unhappy. Being shouted at can be scary for us and impact the bond we have with our pet parents. For us, shouting makes us fearful and can upset us, so this is not an effective way to let us know that we’ve done something wrong.

Instead, we prefer positive reinforcement and will respond better to this type of training. Positive reward-based training is the best way for us dogs to learn, and we’re more than happy to repeat actions that result in a tasty reward!

9. Being forced into situations

Forcing us into situations that we don’t enjoy or feel threatened in is another thing that dogs hate. Being in an unwanted situation makes us feel stressed and scared, especially if it’s something that we’ve never done before. However, we know that some situations, like going to the vets, are unavoidable, so it’s important that you support us when we’re feeling scared and anxious.

It’s also a good idea for our humans to think about how they can help us feel more comfortable in those situations in the future. When I’m put in unavoidable situations where I feel anxious, my parents use my ADAPTIL Calm On-The-Go Collar, which helps me feel calm.

10. Patting

Patting us on our faces and our heads can be uncomfortable for dogs. We love getting affection from our humans, but we also like to have our personal space and patting us near our faces can feel invasive or threatening at times. Our humans might think that this is a way to show affection, but reaching towards our faces can be an unpredictable movement.

As an alternative to patting our faces, try approaching us from the side and stroking our neck or shoulder. Stroking us from the side makes us feel less threatened, and we enjoy this much more than having our faces touched.

11. Not keeping to our routine

We like our routine as much as we like our rules, so not sticking to our routine is a no go. My friends and I love our routines because they help us predict what’s going to happen and when, so we know when we next get to play together! Our routines can also help us cope with challenges that might come our way.

The perfect daily routine for us dogs would include having quality time with our humans, a walk, fun games, training, grooming, or just having a bit of time to chill. Having a routine is important for us because it helps us develop a bond with our parents and gives us things to look forward to.

12. Leaving us home alone

Another thing that dogs hate is being left home alone. We are a very social species and can find being alone quite challenging. Even though we’d love to go everywhere with our parents, we know that it’s not always possible. So, teaching us that being alone is okay from a young age can help us find it less scary when you leave because we know you’ll be back.

When leaving us dogs home alone, it’s important to remember not to leave us for too long. After all, not only do we miss our humans, but we also need opportunities throughout the day to go to the toilet and have a run outside.

If our humans leave us home alone, we always appreciate having interactive toys to play with as well as the company of a pet sitter or dog walker. My parents also plug in an ADAPTIL Calm diffuser when they go out, which helps me feel calmer when I’m home alone.

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