Give Baths
Play Dress-Up
If dogs could talk, it's safe to say the overwhelming majority of them would agree that they don't like playing dress-up. Some pets, being the polite people-pleasers that they are, will tolerate getting squeezed and stuffed into a silly costume or clothes. However, playing dress-up remains a foreign concept to a canine. All they know is after that bee costume comes out, it means having their movement—and often their vision—constricted. Some dogs might hate it so much they try to tear the costume off themselves. Now it doesn't hurt anyone to dress up a pooch to take a cute pic, but monitor your dog's reaction to the costume and take it off if it seems uncomfortable.
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Yell
Yelling at your dog doesn't do anyone any good. Some people have the urge to yell at the pet to stop barking or halt a certain behavior, but this can instill fear in your animal. A pack leader should always be calm and assertive, not reacting with anger or emotion at a dog's actions. Dogs communicate mainly through eye contact, touch, energy and subtle verbalizations, so yelling sounds aggressive and scary to a dog. It likely won't listen to you if you yell, and instead do everything it can to get away.
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Set Off Fireworks
Everyone loves the Fourth of July, with the barbecues, parties and fireworks, but that time of year can be hazardous and terrifying for your dog. Canines (and cats for that matter) have no idea where the loud explosions are coming from. In fact, your pet doesn't even know what fireworks are. Some dogs are so afraid of fireworks that they'll bolt out the door or hide under the bed to try and escape the ruckus. Never leave your dog home alone on the Fourth of July, and try to lessen the sound of the fireworks if you can by closing windows and keeping your dog inside.
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Give Big Hugs
A hug is one of the most affectionate things you can do with a friend, so of course man's best friend loves hugs, right? Not quite. All dogs have different reactions to hugs, ranging from strongly rejecting them to quietly tolerating them. A hug is a foreign concept for animals—you would never see two dogs hug one another on their own. Keep an eye on how your dog reacts to your hug. If it has a relaxed jaw and its ears are forward, it's tolerating your hug. If its ears are back and it seems to be leaning away from you, maybe limit the amount of hug time you give.
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Make Intense Eye Contact
Both wild and domesticated dogs communicate a lot just by using their eyes. It's polite in the canine world to not make direct eye contact, as that kind of gesture communicates aggressiveness. When you meet a new dog, allow it to sniff you and size you up before going in to pet it. But don't stare it down. Some dogs have no qualms about meeting new people or dogs, but it's better to play it safe than to push the dog's limit and risk being bitten.
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The Baby Treatment
Treating your dog as if it were a human baby is incredibly annoying to your pet. You may have the urge to carry your pooch around like a baby, but your dog has no idea why it's being cradled upside-down while 3 feet in the air. Furthermore, dogs don't necessarily like being carted around in a stroller. Unless your dog is too old, frail or disabled to walk, don't force it into a stroller when you go out. A dog is perfectly happy to walk alongside you and sniff along the way. Carting your healthy dog around outside in a stroller not only makes you look silly, it deprives your dog of its natural inclination to explore and use its nose. It also shortchanges your pooch on exercise.
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