Your dog called. He wants you to stop it. He sits, he stays, he greets you at the door after a long day, and he is your cuddle buddy at a moment’s notice. Why then, do we insist on doing things that drive dogs crazy?
Here are seven things pet parents do that dogs hate:
Pretending to throw a ball but secretly keeping it: “Where’d it go, I thought it was right here, or maybe over there?” Probably the oldest “trick” in the book, dogs are fed up. No more “phantom tosses” and no more “look over there, Fluffy, see the ball” moves. It might be funny to you, but you’re pup is sick of all the fake outs.
Trying your best not to jingle the car keys: Rides in the car elicit one of two reactions from dogs—love or loathing. For the dogs who love the car, trying to hold keys snug in your palm isn’t working. They know the keys are there and a freak out is imminent. And for dogs who loathe the car, well, you are busted for trying to oh-so-quietly get the keys out of your purse or off the table by the door. It won’t work.
Not making eye contact while eating a meal: Have you ever felt a dog’s gaze on you or perhaps the eager anticipation and heavy breathing near your feet while you’re at the dinner table? It’s just your dog watching at mealtime. How tasty is that pizza as you place it to your lips? You really do not need that entire bowl of ice cream, right? Dogs are like Santa Claus at Christmas time. They see you when you are sleeping and know when you are awake—and when you are eating!
Holding them close as they struggle for dear life to get away: If dogs could talk on this point, they’d be saying, “let go. I can’t breathe. I am not a teddy bear!” All those who snuggle their dogs, whisper “I love you” and hold them annoyingly close, raise a hand and say “me, me, me!”
If dogs could talk, they’d be saying, “Let go. I can’t breathe. I’m not a teddy bear!”
Pretending dogs cannot count: Let your dog see you take a few dog treats out of the treat bag but only give them one. The treats are in your hand, and the dog knows it. So the tactic of pretending nothing is there and the “see all gone” game simply does not work. So fess up and hand over the treats.
Acting like you don’t like snow and rain: That’s the best time in the world to need a potty break, after all! How many of you have a dog who asks to go out when it’s raining or freezing? Dogs secretly love this weather and they want us, the humans who pretend to hate it, to knock it off.
Saying “I’ll be right back”: If most dogs could pen a letter, it would go something like this, “Right back does not mean eight hours later, human! Right back is seconds. I count the tick tick tick of the clock when you are gone. If you say right back, mean it!”
What did we miss? What other things we do as humans that probably drive our dogs bonkers? Let us know in the comments below.
Image: Anna Hoychuk via Shutterstock
Carol Bryant is the marketing and social media manager for BlogPaws. She runs the blog Fidose of Reality.
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