If you've just welcomed a dog into your home, but he doesn't seem to want anything to do with you, or you already live with a dog and you've noticed that he's started to distance himself for no apparent reason, surely you should feeling rejected and insecure in your relationship with your dog. It gives you the feeling that he doesn't love you like before and that worries you, right?
This situation can be quite awkward and usually has various explanations and solutions. For this reason, if you want to know why you don't want to be with you, on our site we want to help you understand your friend and know how to act.
Why doesn't my dog want to spend time with me?
It is well known that dogs are extremely sociable and affectionate animals. Not for nothing have they earned the title of the best friend of human beings, and it is that throughout the history of domestic dogs they have helped us in carrying out different tasks and have known how to transmit all their love to us when we interact with them. However, we cannot generalize and attribute the same characteristics to all dogs, since each one of them has its own personality and motivations, depending on its genetics (many times determined by race), environment in which they have been raised and learnings they have acquired throughout their lives. For this reason, it is not uncommon to see some dogs more affectionate than others. There are dogs that are constantly on top of you and others that avoid all kinds of physical contact.
There are different signs that can make you understand that your dog avoids being with you because it is part of his character, such as leaving to another room when there are people, hides, prefers to be alone… But it may also be the case that he is not a shy dog, but he only has this attitude with youand gives you the feeling that your dog loves your partner, your children…, for example, more. In this case, we would understand that the problem is only related to you. For this reason, once you have noticed if he rejects all people or only discriminates against you, we can try to find out what could be causing this situation. Below, we show the most common causes that can explain why your dog does not want to be with you:
1. Your way of relating to him is not the most appropriate
It is quite usual for our dog to develop a rather elusive character as a result of the way we behave with him. Many times, we tend to act excessively thinking that being dogs, they are not affected by excessive affection or attention, for example, caressing them, hugging them, holding them in arms… Now, although our affection is generally well received by our furry ones, many times we can be really overwhelming for them.
We must think that, despite being dogs and adapting very well to us, these animals do not usually maintain the same physical contact with each other as we do and it is often perceived as an "aggression" or invasion of space life in which they feel cornered. In these cases, our dogs usually communicate it to us through body language and calm signals, with which they ask us to stop and respect their limits However, many times Due to ignorance we do not realize this form of communication and, as a consequence, our dog could end up developing a rather elusive and even aggressive behavior in some cases.
On the other hand, an education based on negative reinforcement, punishment or yelling could also cause your dog not to want to be with you because it associates you with negative stimuli for him.
two. He just met you
If you have recently adopted your dog, it is natural that he still does not trust you completely. Some timid dogs need a longer period of time to adapt to their new family and learn new habits In addition, many times we don't even know our furry's past, We do not know what kind of apprenticeships he has undergone or if he was mistreated, a fact that would justify that he had a much more surly character than a dog that has been raised since childhood in a safe home.
3. Does not receive the necessary care
It is also possible that your dog has problems relating to you because he is not comfortable, that is, his welfare is not covered As caregivers, it is our responsibility to attend to all the specific care that our dog needs, which include food, physical and emotional safety, and physical and mental entertainment. On the contrary, when one of these pillars limps, our dog feels bad and manifests it through behavioral disorders that reflect his state of stress and frustration and can give us the feeling that they don't love us, for example, if they bark or growl at us every time we pay attention to them.
My dog doesn't love me like he used to
It is possible that you enjoyed a good relationship with your dog, but now you have the feeling that he has stopped loving you. Your dog may want to be alone and even show you a clear rejection. The reasons why this sudden change could have happened are the following:
1. You have had a negative experience
It is common to experience stressful situations with our furry, which can create a negative cause-effect association with respect to us. That is to say, if, for example, we have taken our dog for a walk and he has suffered an accident (such as another dog attacking him), it would not be surprising if he is confused and would have understood that we have precipitated him into that situation and, therefore, Therefore, we have taken fear. Similar would be the case of inadvertently hurting him (stepping on his tail, picking him up wrongly…), a fact that would entail relating to that negative experience.
In the same way, if we educate our dog through fighting, shouting and physical pain, it is not surprising that he is afraid of us and does not you like to spend time with us. The vast majority of times, we tend to get disproportionately angry and not effectively communicate what needs to be corrected. In addition, we do not offer him more appropriate alternatives to behaviors that are natural for him. This situation of misunderstanding generates a feeling of detachment and distrust towards us. Therefore, if you have scolded your dog in an exaggerated way and, as a result of this moment, your dog does not want to be with you or you have noticed that he does not love you as before, this is probably the reason.
two. A significant change has occurred in your environment
There are dogs that can become really susceptible to changes in their environment, changing their mood and feeling insecure if something really significant has happened, such as a move or the arrival of a new member of the family.
3. Not feeling well
Sudden changes in behavior in animals, specifically in dogs, are a clear indication that something is wrong. If you notice that your dog prefers to be alone and, in addition, shows other behaviors such as stopping eating, not wanting to go for a walk, licking himself excessively…, you should be concerned and take him to the vet as soon as possible so that he can rule out that he is not suffering from any pain or clinical pathology.
My dog doesn't want to sleep with me
It is common for dogs to want to sleep with their human companions or with other dogs, as they feel comfortable and safe. However, this does not happen in all dogs and, for this reason, it is natural for you to think that your dog rejects you or does not love you if you notice that he does not want to sleep next to you.
Now then, if in your daily life your furry shows you that he wants to be with you and you have not identified any of the points described above, the fact that your dog does not want to sleep with you does not necessarily mean that does not love you, but it could be due to the following reasons:
1. He is not comfortable in your bed
It is possible that your bed is not the most appropriate for your dog, it may be too soft and cause a feeling of instability Or it could be that it is too small for both of you and that, although you are comfortable, your dog feels uncomfortable every time you move.
There are many reasons why your partner might not like your bed, and if he has his own bed to rest in, he might prefer it and it might be more suitable for him. So don't take it personally!
two. Feels more comfortable sleeping alone
It is also not unusual for your furry simply to prefer to sleep alone, as he is more comfortable, for example, if you move around a lot for nights, if you have a tendency to cuddle him like a stuffed animal (which he doesn't have to like) and even if is very hot sleeping next to you, especially all in summer. Still, he doesn't have to love you! Look at how he behaves with you throughout the day, surely it shows you his affection, despite not wanting to sleep with you.
3. It's part of his character
It may also be the case that your dog is rather independent and does not need to be by your side to feel protected. It could even be him who wants to protect youand, for this reason, he keeps an eye on his surroundings while you sleep
What do I do if my dog doesn't like me?
To improve your relationship with your dog, you will first need to identify why he doesn't want to spend time with you, due to the different causes that can cause this behavior. Once the reason is identified, you can apply one or another advice.
1. Give him time to adjust
As we have described above, if the rejection is due to the fact that it has recently arrived at your home or because it is a rather skittish dog, you should give it some time so that it can adapt to its environment and get to know its new family. You will have to avoid forcing situations that could generate fear and invite him to approach using prizes, calm displays of affectionand the use of a soft tone of voice If, in addition, you have noticed that he loves to play with a toy, encourage him to do it with you, avoiding sudden movements if you see that he feels uncomfortable.
two. Learn to understand their body language
Once you know the different signals that your dog gives you to communicate if he is sad, happy or stressed, it will be easier for you to distinguish when you can interact with him and when he prefers to have space of the. You will therefore be able to understand when your dog does not feel uncomfortable and you will know when he is receptive and wants to spend gratifying times with you, be it playing, walking or being pampered.
3. Be patient
Learning to manage problematic situations with your dog from a positive approach and from a calm state of mind will be especially beneficial in your relationship with him. On the one hand, you won't become a threatening stimulus to him, on the contrary, as the use of positive reinforcementwill make him see you as someone really nice. On the other hand, you will make your friend more secure and confident, since he will be able to understand you better and he will have clearer the guidelines you give him.
When dogs receive some type of fight, most of the time, they are not able to understand the reason for the anger, which usually generates confusion and makes them feel uncomfortable.
4. Identify what your dog likes
Every individual is unique and, for this reason, not all dogs are motivated by the same thing. For example, it is possible that your dog is rather active and prefers to spend time playing and not stretched out on the sofa, or your dog may be rather calm, and does not show an iota of interest when you throw him the ball. Identifying your furry's tastes and spending quality time with him will be more than beneficial for him to gain confidence and attachment.
5. Find the source of his discomfort
As we have mentioned, it is possible that your dog does not want to be with you and shows a more hostile character because his welfare is not fully covered. You must, therefore, inform yourself of the specific needs of your dog (such as the exercise it needs to perform or environmental enrichment), in order to care for it in the most appropriate way.
Take him to the vet is also advisable, since a pathology or pain could be the main cause that explains why your dog does not loves you as before or rejects you in case he has distanced himself from you.
