Don’t Go Near a Dog If It’s Wearing a Red Collar

You walk in the park and stop because you come across the cutest puppy. While admiring it, you notice a red collar and remember red is the universal sign for stop. All over the world, you see it on stop signs and stoplights! This cute pup is one you shouldn’t get too close to!

A red collar on a dog signals that the animal is aggressive and should be given space by humans and other animals! These dogs may be more likely to snap, bite or lunge at any passersby. You may find this hard to believe, given how happy the dog might look when you see it with its handler! You’re right! It probably is delighted because it loves its owner and may also be super protective of them!

It’s also possible that the dog may be an assistance dog! However, these dogs would wear a vest with ’emotional support’ or ’assistance dog.’ Oh, and please remember three important words, ’Do Not Pet.’ Not all dog owners opt to use color-coded language with their pets. It’s often used more in professional environments. For example, if a dog and their sniffer are required for scent work, they probably have better things to do than getting belly rubs from strangers!

Their red collar might now serve as your fair warning! It’s a fact that dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses. Humans have roughly six million. It means that their sense of smell is about 50 times better than ours! The part of a dog’s brain devoted to analyzing smells is about 40 times greater than ours. Dogs are attracted to new odors.

There’s a good chance they’d prefer a sniffing session to your offer of a belly rub! It could just annoy them. Why don’t we take a look at some other things that can irritate your dog! This first one might hurt your feelings and be hard to accept! Have you ever noticed your dog freezing in terror when you go to hug it? Have you ever wondered why? Dogs just don’t like it when you hug them.

Research has shown you should never constrain your dog, which is exactly what happens when you hug them. If your dog comes looking for it, then OK! But otherwise, a pat on the head will be enough! None of us like returning home to find our beautiful furniture chewed to pieces! Or discovering that our brand-new shoes are ruined. But one thing you shouldn’t do is yell at your dog! Even if they chewed your favorite and the most expensive shoes!

Yelling just confuses a dog. Dogs may simply think you’re barking at them and start wondering what’s happened to its human! I know those puppy eyes are beautiful and hard to look away from, but try not to stare at them too long. Prolonged eye contact can be another form of aggression to our loyal companions. This even applies to your own dog, who may get spooked by your serious demeanor.

This is especially true with strange dogs who may be anxious or uneasy with your presence. Try to distract yourself from looking at them by simply focusing on stroking that warm cuddly fur! What else annoys your dog? Whilst your furry friend may be perfectly okay with having extremely oversized nails, one thing they’re often not okay with is their owner trying to clip them.

Research suggests that dogs hate getting their nails clipped, ears checked and mouth examined! However, these things have to happen as overgrown nails could hurt your dog, and checking their ears could prevent a nasty ear infection! It’s good to get your dog comfortable with you touching their feet and ears before taking them to your local groomer or trying to cut nails yourself!

Being a responsible dog owner is by making sure they get enough exercise! And dogs always love a walk, right! Well, not always. Let’s be practical about this, you’re at the beach on a sunny day! You walk on the sand barefoot, and suddenly, you feel your feet burning! You quickly struggle back to your towel! See where I’m going with this?

If it’s too hot for your feet, it’s probably too hot for your dog’s paws! And it’s not just burning feet you need to be worried about! The heat itself can harm your dog. Dogs can cool themselves by panting. However, this method is not too effective in hot weather! By moving your dog walking sessions to early morning or late afternoon, you could be doing that puppy of yours a big favor! Variety is the spice of life! And don’t think this doesn’t apply to dogs!

Especially when it comes to the games you play with them! When we think of games to play with our dog the best most of us can come up with is fetch! We’re not the ones that have to desperately chase after the ball, so this is quite convenient! Be more creative! Try some other games! One of which is tug-of-war which involves equal effort from both dog and human! Dogs love this game and contrary to popular belief it has no connection to aggression. Especially if you alternate between who wins each round!

This game will also teach your dog a vital skill in impulse control! Games that end early will teach your dog the difference between what’s acceptable and what isn’t! You can also play training games with your dog! Giving your dog a treat when they look at you without being asked to will enable you to have more control over them! Although they’re animals, dogs do have some traits in common with humans! Example? They won’t get on with everybody.

So don’t try and force a dog into a friendship with another dog! Some dogs are shy whilst others are social butterflies. Our job as responsible pet owners is to find out how we can make our dogs comfortable. Dogs have different levels of confidence. One dog may be fine with one other dog but become uncomfortable in a group bigger than two! It’s sometimes best to create a small group of dog friends for your dog to play with or just introduce them to new dogs one at a time! But forcing them into uncomfortable situations is a no-go!

One thing we’re all sometimes reluctant towards is change! One thing that a dog loves to do is make their owner happy! So if your dog’s not listening to you there’s a good chance it’s because your rules aren’t consistent enough! Consistency is something that dogs love! It allows them to know how to behave in different situations! Telling them to ’lay down’ after previously using the word ’sit’ can cause major confusion!

As a matter of fact, you should probably make a daily schedule for your dog! This will prevent your dog expecting a game of tug-of-war when you’re trying to get ready for work! And one thing you need to put into this schedule is some time outside of the house! This will teach your dog how to behave in new environments! You can’t just expect your dog to enter one of the many dog friendly cafes that now exist and know how to be a good girl or boy! Take baby steps, if your dog becomes excited you’re moving too fast!

Oh, and don’t forget those yummy treats to reward your pooch for good behavior! With all of the attention our dogs pay to ourselves, it’s only fair that we should do the very same with them. Not paying attention to your dog’s body language isn’t good! Just because they don’t speak a language doesn’t mean you can’t tell what’s going on inside their head! Research shows that dogs speak with their bodies!

Although some behavior, like leaning in for more attention are pretty universal, dogs have very different ways of showing their anxiety, from freezing in place to an odd tail wag. A dog’s eyes, tail, ears and posture are key to understanding how your pet is feeling! Paying close attention to how your dog responds to different social settings will also allow you to prevent any uncomfortable situations moving forward!

The most obvious thing your dog doesn’t like? Being ignored. Neither dogs nor humans have the energy to play all day. But time does need to be carved out of your schedule for someone on one bonding!

Food and shelter isn’t the only thing these creatures need! This is especially true when adding a new dog to your home! Dogs may also feel left out. Please make sure the older dog doesn’t feel unloved!