• Coughing or sneezing

Your cough or sneeze can be received by dogs as a “tooth-snap”, or a sound sometimes created by dogs or wolves to warn others. In other words, your simple cough may be making your dog scared of possible threats. This can easily explain why dogs sometimes get stressed out when you’re sick, or whenever you make coughing or sneezing sounds.

• Holding your dog’s leash

Holding on too tightly on your dog’s leash can convey a sense of tension or anxiety to them. If that happens, your dog might also become stressed out or sensitive, making them more likely to bark more. If you can train your dog early on about walking with a leash, you can learn how to use the leash at the same time to minimize the transference of the negative vibes.

• Becoming reserved

If your dog is hiding in the presence of certain people, don’t try to force a relationship. Your dog may dislike that person for certain reasons, and it would simply not help to push your dog to be friends with your human friends.

• Petting

The basic rule of thumb is that, even if they do tolerate it, a dog does not like having their face touched. As a consequence, they basically do not like receiving pats on the head. If you really want to make your dog feel appreciated, a simple pat on the back can convey a better message. Because many people don’t realize this, it’s actually quite important to mention this to children who might want to play with dogs.