Signs Your Dog Doesn’t Like You – Find It Out Today!
We all know dogs are amazing domestic animals who can build strong bonds with their owners. What if I tell you there are instances where dogs dislike their owners? This might not sound right, but sometimes dogs could loathe their owners.
Growing up in a household, especially if the dog is raised in a caring and nurturing environment, is concerning why your dog would not like you. If you ever feel like your dog is ignoring you or showing gestures that they dislike you, this article will help you to find answers.
What are the signs your dog doesn’t like you? It is not very complicated to understand the signs of dislike. If you notice that your dog is always observant of what you do and keeps watching you, that is a typical gesture of them showing you their dislike or distrust. Also, if your dog attempts to maintain intense eye contact or maintains no eye contact, they could also be signs of dislike. They also tend to bark and growl at you often to express displeasure.
Dogs do not always indicate rigid gestures to show that they dislike you. Some dogs tend to act scared when they dislike their owners. If the dog often tries to hide when you are around, does not like to play with you, doesn’t take treats from you, and doesn’t allow you to pet them, such gestures are also considered signs that dogs show when they dislike the owners.
Humans prefer having dogs as their pets due to plenty of reasons. Dogs are easy to merge with; they are friendly, trustworthy, and protective. Unless there is a particular reason, a dog will never dislike their owner; instead, dogs love their owners with all their hearts.
Nevertheless, there are times when things could happen differently from what we expect, so as a dog parent, it is always better to prepare yourself for all sorts of scenarios. Keep reading to find out more.
7 Signs your dog doesn’t like you
As mentioned in the beginning, it is not likely that dogs hate their owners; however, it is not impossible.
Sometimes dogs dislike their owners, and when they oppose the owner, it can be clearly figured out by observing their behavior.
Below are some signs that dogs typically indicate expressing dislike towards you.
- Changes in physique
When we hate someone, it can be observed through our facial expressions and body language, the same with dogs. When a dog dislikes someone, they signify it in different ways.
Most of the time, this can be understood via changes in their physique. Dogs are usually easy going and fun animals.
They are comfortable staying around humans and have relaxed bodies in their normal state. When they dislike you, it could change.
If you notice that your dog stiffens up their body or if its hair gets straightened up when you are around, that could be because they do not like you much.
Moreover, if the dog keeps its ears flipped back or flattened, that could also be a sign that it is attempting to ignore you.
Also, as we know, dogs wag their tails as a common way of showing their love; if they dislike someone, they will not wag their tail; instead, they will tuck it away.
- Growl and bark at you quite often
Dogs sometimes growl and bark to indicate a threat or when they are scared of something; however, if you see them growling and barking at you excessively, that could be because they do not like you.
So they keep growling and barking to warn you that they dislike you.
So overall, if the dogs indicate aggressive and destructive behavior towards you, it is essential to be vigilant and find out why.
- Act nervously
Dogs have different personalities; therefore, the way that they respond to different situations will vary.
Sometimes when a dog dislikes its owner, as discussed earlier, it could show brutal behavior, including barking, growling, and snarling.
However, not every dog acts tough when they dislike you; some may act anxiously and nervously in such situations.
If your dog tries to ignore you when you try to be with them, if they try to keep themselves somewhere away from you, or if they tremble when you get close to them, such signs also could be indicators of their dislike towards you.
- Doesn’t allow you to pet him
Dogs love to get some good cuddles from their owners, and quite the opposite happens when they dislike the owners.
If your dog doesn’t like you for some reason, it will not show much interest in getting affection from you, so when you try to pet the dog, it will ignore you and will resist petting them.
If a dog dislikes someone, it will find it bothering you when you touch them.
- Having intense eye contact or completely ignoring eye contact
Dogs maintain eye contact with owners when they have a strong bond with one another. Eye contact is a solid way for dogs to communicate their feelings.
However, dogs usually do not like maintaining intense eye contact; simply, dogs do not like to stare. If a dog keeps staring at you, that shows something isn’t correct.
So if your dog keeps looking straight into your eyes intensely, that could be because they do not like you.
On the other hand, if your dog maintains no eye contact at all, that also could be a way of them expressing their dislike.
- Ignoring your commands
In most cases, dogs are spontaneously obedient creatures; with proper and consistent training, you can make them even more obedient. Dogs follow the commands of their owners.
Due to the pack mentality that dogs inherit, they obey the owner’s orders, considering them the leader.
When a dog dislikes or distrusts someone, it will ignore the commands, though you try hard to train them.
- Do not get excited to see you
If you own a dog, you might know how much they miss you when you are not around, which is why they run straight to you as soon as they see you after some time.
Dogs usually get super excited to see their owners wherever they see them, even if they were not around for a small period.
If a dog does not show any excitement to see you, simply if they do not bother, that could be a way of them showing their displeasure.
What does it mean when dogs don’t like you?
What does it exactly mean when a dog doesn’t like you? When a dog doesn’t like you, it mostly means they are afraid or suspicious of you. What makes a dog dislike its owner in the first place?
As mentioned, a dog grows up in a loving household since a pup will never likely dislike its owner. However, suppose the dog has to face an unpleasant incident because of you; it could make them not like you.
Dogs are intelligent animals but do not have as many developed brains as humans. No dog owner would intend to hurt their pet, but sometimes things may happen unintentionally.
Depending on how you handle the situation afterward, the dog could forget it, or they could start not liking you.
So if something negative happens to the dog you are aware of, act smart so that the dog will not hold any grudge.
Sometimes dogs will not like owners because they are scared of them. This also could happen due to stressful or unpleasant encounters that your dog faces.
Especially if you raise a shelter dog or a grown-up dog, there are more possibilities for them to dislike you based on their past experience.
Dogs do not usually dislike their owners. If that happens, there must be specific reasons for it. Mainly it indicates that your dog is suspicious of you or scared of you.
However, remember that how you raise your dog also significantly impacts how they think of you.
If you don’t pay attention to your dog, ignore them, and do not socialize them when they are young, it will also make the dog dislike you.
Final thoughts
Dog owners come across various challenges throughout their dog parenting journey. We prefer having pet dogs; not only are they fun to have, they are also loyal and trustworthy creatures.
Sometimes even though you raise your dog with all your love, they might act ignorant of you. If the dog keeps showing unusual body language, if they act aggressively or try to hide from you, it will undoubtedly make you worried.
It is hard to believe that dogs can dislike their owners, but as elaborate pointed out, some reasons lead dogs to oppose their owners.
It could be because of the way you treat your dog, previous experiences they have to deal with, or perhaps a sickness.
If it feels like your dog dislikes you, the best thing to do is to give them some time and take things slow to understand what exactly bothers your pet. However, if things do not get any better, it is good to get professional advice.
Thank you for reading this post. Stay tuned with Jack Russell Owner for more interesting posts about your pet friend.