Can I Ever Hurt My Dog's Feelings?

While dogs don't have the same type of emotional perspective human beings do, they can sense kindness, love, fear, equity and inequality. While your dog might not understand the meaning of harsh words, he can interpret body language, voice inflection, facial expressions and actions on your part. Mistreating your pooch can make him feel unloved and even depressed.

  1. Ignoring Your Dog

    • Your dog craves your attention and thrives on your affection. When you ignore your pup, passing him by when he attempts to get your attention, interact or play with you, he can be let down and disappointed. Over time you may find your dog no longer attempts to engage you, and even shows indifference toward your presence.

    Scolding Your Dog

    • While some degree of gentle scolding is necessary in the initial stages of obedience training and housebreaking, yelling at your dog, physically abusing him or using a harsh tone of voice can frighten him and make him wary and fearful of you. Your dog may come to avoid you and even shy away from your presence by hiding from you.

    Inequity

    • If you have a household with multiple dogs, and you treat one dog more favorably than another, the other dogs will notice and resent the inequitable treatment. For example, if you regularly provide treats for tricks and you give one dog a treat and not the other, or even give one dog a great treat and the other a low value morsel, the dog getting the short end of the stick will eventually notice and stop obeying the commands associated with the rewards.

    Pack Mentality

    • Dogs have a pack mentality in which they crave interaction with other animals. Your dog considers you a member of his pack, and as such, might not understand a disinterest on your part. Pack members like to protect, work together and please the dominant member. If you don̵7;t allow your dog to fulfill this role, he may become despondent.

    Result of Hurt Feelings

    • Depending on how sensitive your pup is, and what his history has been, hurt feelings can lead to a variety of consequences. You may have a dog who simply coexists with you with no real interaction beyond basic care, or you may have a dog who feels isolated or anxious and becomes destructive. To avoid these scenarios, make sure you schedule adequate time to spend with your dog and avoid yelling or physically punishing him at any time.