Mary Allen
You blindly get along with your dog – you think. Because a lot of what you do is actually difficult for your four-legged friend to understand. What really confuses your dog, and how can you be more animal-friendly?
Even if some are inclined to humanize their dog: dogs remain animals. And sometimes they have trouble understanding us humans. Our words, our behavior, and even our looks and smells can all confuse your dog more than you think.
Here’s how you annoy your dog – and how to avoid confusion:
Name Can Сonfuse Dog
You can already confuse your dog by giving it a name. What to look for when choosing the right name for your dog? The name should be easy and understandable for the dog Two-syllable dog names are best.
Insider magazine also recommends names starting with D, T, or K, which are easier for dogs to learn. On the other hand, names that start with soft letters like S or F are more difficult to understand.
Also important: avoid misunderstandings. Your dog’s name should not resemble any other name or word that you use frequently. This can be, for example, the names of family members or names that sound like basic terms such as “place”.
We Leave Our Dog Alone
Dogs are social creatures by nature and love to be with their “pack”. Your dog’s flock? You! This is why many dogs feel very lonely when we leave them alone. Mainly because they can never be sure that we will actually be back this time.
Some dogs go crazy alone, gnawing on furniture, crushing pillows around the house. They don’t want to annoy us with this – they just show the pain of separation.
We Change Our Smell and Appearance
Our clothes, hairstyles, and smells sometimes change every day. We probably don’t even notice this ourselves. Dogs are familiar with their environment, especially by smell.
Therefore, it is not surprising if the dog suddenly gets confused by your new perfume or the smell of a new service dog on your clothes. Moreover, dogs use their smell to distinguish acquaintances from intruders.
Punish Dogs for Not Behaving Like Humans
“Animals are not people with fur,” said veterinarian Sara Ochoa. So don’t expect them to behave the way we do. “They will wallow in the mud and do what normal dogs do.” Owners should never punish their dogs for behaving like dogs.
Your dog may not always want to sniff people, bark from time to time, or eat strange things, but that’s okay. You can work on teaching your four-legged friend to behave this way. But you shouldn’t punish him for it. Then your dog will not understand that he did something wrong. For him, his behavior is one thing above all: completely natural.