8 things that confuse our dogs
While dogs are some of the world’s most advanced creatures, they may not understand and cope with everything we do or say. Small puppies may take some time to adjust and learn our ways, but the older ones are generally used to us. Unsurprisingly, there can be several things we do that can confuse these poor furries to no extent. Here are some of them:
- Changing our physical traits:
Things we use like shoes, coats, perfume, and more can alter the way we look or smell. This change can affect the dog’s olfactory world since they constantly have to adjust to our changing style. It can also confuse them between an intruder and a family member.
- Leaving them alone:
While the sociality of a dog can decrease with age, they often remain more vulnerable than people. Since we have things going in our lives, we tend to leave our dogs alone. It can make naïve dogs very nervous and confused since they don’t know if we will ever return.
- Hugging:
Since dogs tend to hold each other very loosely when wrestling or playing, being harshly hugged by a person can confuse them. This behavior might come off threatening, ultimately making them feel attacked. It is especially true with puppies since they are not well aware of humans around them.
- Visuals:
Dogs generally function through smell. While TV can be very entertaining for us, it rarely gives dogs any enjoyment since they cannot sniff anything. On the other hand, beaches and parks are like a party for them where they can smell enough. It makes dogs not enjoy the same space we might.
- Biting:
Dogs generally express their playful side by biting. While dogs are used to this, humans are highly vulnerable to a playful dog’s bites, making us react more negatively than they expect. It can keep the dogs confused since they do not expect the same offense we show.
- Hands:
As humans, we generally tend to use our hands a lot. Dogs are not used to such intense movements of our hands since it can scare them. Hand-shy dogs tend to get defensive and run away. Thankfully, the answer to your question, “Is it ever too late to start training a dog” is it’s never too late. To make it easier for the dog, we can train them using hand-related activities so that they do not fear away from us.
- Sharing Territories:
Dogs are very susceptible to smell. They recognize their owners through their natural scent. However, when we visit the spaces of other dogs, we tend to carry their smell as well. Getting a new smell can trigger your dog since they are not used to intrusion and threats for safety reasons.
- Eating food from the bin:
Dogs love eating their favorite meal, making them sometimes go inside bins and lunchboxes. While we do tend to present them with food in their dishes, they can still be snacking from places we do not expect. Puppies can be confused with our reaction when we catch them, grabbing food from a bin.