Why do dogs seem to dislike certain people?
Have you ever brought home a friend only for your sweet-natured dog to start barking or growling at him?
It can be quite embarrassing, especially when you’ve been reassuring your friend that Lily is the friendliest dog in the world.
At first, such unusual behavior often takes you by surprise. Then you start to wonder what might have caused it.
Does your dog know something about your friend that you don’t? Why does she hate certain people?
Should you be worried?
Let’s find out the answer to all of those questions!
I’m sure that you’ve heard or read that dogs sense “bad” people or that they can see people’s aura.
Some might even suggest that if your dog is acting aggressively towards somebody you know, there is a good reason why she is doing it, e.g., you should immediately sever any ties with this suspicious person or keep an eye on your back.
Dogs are not psychics, and they don’t have any supernatural abilities, which allow them to warn us about a person’s character. That’s just an old wives’ tale. Of course, there is a reason why your dog barks at a specific person, but rarely has it anything to do with the person’s personality.
Just think about it. Our definition of a “bad person” is not equal to Lily’s understanding of “bad,” because she views the world from her canine point of view. Yes, dogs have an innate sense of right and wrong, but it’s not equivalent to ours.
Nevertheless, it’s true that dogs are very intuitive and know how to read body language and emotions. Sometimes they do it better than other people, which has convinced some that they might have extraordinary abilities.
Related ➔➔ How To Know If your dog hates You and what to do about it.
Pay attention to how he behaves towards your friend. Does he follow your friend around, and put himself between the two of you? That’s a protective stance. He’s worried about what your friend will do to you.
I know an American Bulldog named Ichi who is convinced that her dad’s friend is the vet she had as a puppy . She barks her head off every time she sees him, to make sure that he doesn’t attempt anything with a cold thermometer.
My dog usually likes people, but he doesn’t like my friend. What does that mean? Is my friend a bad person?
Your pet has reasons to not like this friend. These reasons may or may not be valid.
Think back to your dog’s earliest encounter with your friend. Was it pet-sitting when you weren’t around? Did your friend do something obnoxious? Did he say something disrespectful? Even something benign like, “He’s so ugly he’s cute?” Words hurt. And dogs, while they live in the moment, they remember.
#1 It’s all about the scent
Dogs might not have supernatural abilities, but they do have an almost supernatural sense of smell. In fact, a dog could distinguish identical twins by scent alone because they have a 10,000 – 100,000 more powerful sense of smell than us. So, when you come home, they know where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing.
In addition to this, smell is the predominant sense that dogs use to gather information about the surrounding world and its inhabitants. Butt sniffing might seem disgusting to us, but a dog can tell a lot about the gender, health, diet, and emotional status of the other dog by sniffing him from behind.
So, don’t be surprised when they try to sniff you down there. They are just trying to learn more about you.
Let’s say that your dog hates one specific person. Ask yourself “Could my dog have smelled something he doesn’t like?” Another dog, for example? You might not be able to sense the other dog’s smell, but Lily could. Dogs (and cats) leave their scent all over you to mark you as their territory and warn others to stay away.
Of course, many smells can trigger her. Maybe the person owns a cat or has been in contact with other animals before coming to see you. Also, most dogs usually hate the smell of:
It’s also worth mentioning that dogs can smell diseases like cancer, narcolepsy, low blood sugar, migraine, and seizures. It’s possible that they are growling at a specific person because they can tell that he smells very differently from their owner, and it confuses them.
Another reason why a dog might dislike a certain individual or family member is poor socialization. A young puppy should be exposed to as many different people as possible to make it feel comfortable around strangers.
You might think that a person wearing glasses or one with a long beard is nothing out of the ordinary, but in Lily’s eyes, they look different from what she is used to. So, if you bring home a friend with an extravagant haircut, your dog might growl or bark at him because she feels suspicious.
An incident during socialization might also contribute to why your dog dislikes or avoids certain people. Imagine that Lily as a puppy encountered a bunch of enthusiastic children who forced their attention on her. She would have felt so afraid and vulnerable that she would remember that small, short people are dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
If you are on the opposite side and your friend’s dog doesn’t like you, think about your first meeting. Did you talk in loud voices, accidentally step on his tail, or cuddle him too strong?
The wrong first impression might be why your friend’s dog doesn’t like you. In this case, you have to work hard to earn his trust and show him that you mean well.
14 Signs Your Dog Doesn’t Love You (Even if You Think They Do)
While it might seem like a complicated mystery to you, such behavior often has a simple explanation.
Stay tuned to learn the answer and get some great tips how to deal with this behavior.