I swear my dog hates me. (1 Viewer)

[StephenA]

I don't know why either. I've always treated her very well. Her name is Ruby, she's a boxer. I'll give some examples why I think so:

She always gets up and leaves when I enter the room she's sitting or laying in.

She gives me dirty looks if I say her name or say hello to her.

She leaves if I speak to her too.

She'd rather go to, and does go to people she hardly knows, than go to me.

And she never comes when I call her.

Wouldn't you guys think she didn't like you too, if she did this to you?

 

[teapot2001]

How long have you had her? Try giving her treats more often. Play with her.

~T

 

[StephenA]

I've had her close to 10 years. I do try to play with her and stuff, but she won't let me. She runs away, while looking at me mean.

 

[ChuckSn]

I have a boxer also, that behavior is very uncharacteristic of the breed. Boxers are normally very loyal companions. Have you had her from a pup? Do you walk her/ spend time with her regularly? Mine tends to favor whom ever spends the most time with him that day, Whether it be me or my girlfriend.

 

[Paul_D]

The title makes this sound like a really light-weight thread. A joke. But after reading your two posts Stephen, I almost find it upsetting. Perhaps you should look into finding another home for the dog where he'll have a better time, and finding a new dog for yourself so that you'll have a better time. Based on what you've said, at least one of you has to move out.

 

[StephenA]

Well she likes everyone else. I've had her since a puppy. Her daughter Jade loves me. Jade listens to me, and stays in my room with me every night. I just have a problem with Ruby. I've tried to get along with her, but pretty much given up. I usually just ignore her now. It just gets aggrevating that I can't do anything with her.

 

[ChuckSn]

Do you leave her home alone a lot? Maybe she is just getting old and pissy. Ten years is pretty old for a boxer. Imagine how you'll treat you s/o when you're 70 .

 

[Scott Merryfield]

That's a sad story, Stephen. I have seen dogs have a negative reaction to one particular individual for no apparent reason on a couple of occasions. My best friend in high school had a dog that was very friendly and happy with whomever came over to the house. However, one of our friends stopped by one day, and the dog immediately started barking and growling viciously at this person whom he had never seen before. My sister had a dog that did the exact same thing when our uncle visited. Both people were dog lovers, so they were not putting out any negative vibes to the dog, either. Both instances were very strange.

 

[Rain]

I used to have the same problem with a cat, Mortimer. I tried my best to make him happy. In fact, when I got Velcro it was mainly because I didn't want Mortimer to be without another kitty companion.

Eventually I felt I had to give up and try to find him a home where he would be happier.

After that, I got Eddie and it's been wonderful ever since.

I'd probably be inclined to suggest you do the same, but if Ruby gets along with other people in the household, it may just be something you have to live with.

 

[StephenA]

She's never home alone. There's my grandmother, mother, sister, and uncle here at some point all the time. Plus I have 4 other dogs, 3 cats, and 8 birds. She has many people and animals to play with. She just don't like associating with me.

 

[John Miles]

I wonder if you smell bad to her for some reason? Do you work in an environment that might impart an unpleasant odor to your clothes or hair?

 

[StephenA]

I do odd jobs at my grandmother's trailer park, like raking, mowing, limb removal, etc., so I don't know if it's that. I have no idea what it is. Too bad she can't talk, or I'd ask.

 

[NickSo]

limb removal

I just gotta say... OUCH!

 

[Philip_G]

MAN thats cold. SO much for man's best friend.
Has the dog always been like that? was it really friendly at first and just sort of deteriorated? Have you asked your vet about it? maybe it's doggie depression or it's sick somehow?
does she like toys? maybe if you bring her toys ever few days on the way home from work you can buy her affection

 

[KyleK]

Try using a different cologne.

 

[Michael Warner]

Everyone thinks our 9 year old black lab mix is unfriendly as well but she just takes the whole pack thing very seriously. If I'm not around she stays glued to my wife and kids but shows no real interest in playing with them. When I get home she feels like she's done her job protecting everyone so she's free to go off and do her own thing for awhile. Later on when everyone else has gone to bed she'll come back to spend time with me or go for a walk. She's just a very serious dog and doesn't really like to play all that much. She'll never be a huggable dog but she's very loyal and seems happy with her self-assigned role in the family. Maybe your dog has a similar outlook on life.

 

[JonZ]

Dogs are VERY emotional. Its funny when people say dumb animals cant feel that way becuase its not true. My dad goes to Florida once every 3 months and when he gets back his dog (a Golden Retreiver who since has died of old age) used to get mad at him for days for leaving him.Its funny when you think about it.He began bringing him back treats when he returned but that didnt help-the dog was upset his master would leave him for a week.

When he returned the dog would act sappy and be cold to him for the first few days and then eventualy warm up to him again.

Its odd behavior for a dog youve been with for 10 years, maybe you should see a specialist about it.

 

[Steve Zatkoff]

Maybe it's possible there is nothing wrong with the dog? I'm not trying to be mean, but maybe she just doesn't care for you! My dog Roscoe likes some people more then others and I believe it really comes down to where they perceive you in the pack.

Steve

 

[Jeffrey Noel]

You say you get along great with her pup, Jade, so maybe Ruby's just jealous?! Do you seem to favor Jade or any other dog or animal? Since she's 10, she had probably had you to herself for awhile. So ever since you've started getting more animals she just became more and more jealous until she didn't care for you. I could be all wrong though.
It's too bad though. I feel for you, although I've never had this happen. I love animals and I hate when some don't feel comfortable around me. Makes me sad! :frowning:
BTW, how long has your dog been treating you this way?

 

[JayV]

After lurking here for years, your problem finally compelled me to post.

In the interest of disclosure, I should tell you that I have an eight month old puppy at home. She's fairly naughty, although we just graduated from a basic eight-week obedience course and she is getting better in leaps and bounds. I have no special knowledge or ability with animals, but some of my experiences might be helpful.

There are a number of things you might want to try before finding Ruby a new home.

1. Play the name game. Carry a treats with you at all times. Say her name, and then give her a treat when she looks at you. This teaches/reminds her that good things happen when she pays attention to you.
   
   To make this easier, you can buy a clip-on treat pouch (like this one). You can probably find something similar in lots of places.
   
   Cut your treats into small pieces (I cut them a little bigger than M&M's). My dog seems to like a mixture of treats; maybe it's the variety or maybe it's the mystery of it.
2. Play a jackpot game. This is actually used to train your pup for a "really reliable recall" used for the most dire of emergencies.
   
   Once your dog is used to looking/coming to you (see #1 above), put some physical distance between you. It helps if she's hungry. Then yell your special word (mine is "PAYDAY!") and keep encouraging her when she runs over. Feed her something really good like hot dog pieces. Keep feeding her bits for 30 seconds while telling her what a good dog she is. That's the game. Don't play this unless you know she will come.
   
   Eventually increase the distance. I like to hide somewhere in the house while a friend holds my dog. My friend usually has to cover her eyes when I walk away, because my dog is a cheater and remembers where I went. Dunno how she can't remember not to jump up to greet people, but when this game is involved she attains land nav skills that would put a Ranger to shame.
3. Note how you use her name. Never use her name to call her for punishment or even do something she hates like a bath (heck, you probably already know this). Don't use her name in combination with "no" or a scolding.
4. Spend some time with her at the expense of other things like your XBOX or the TV. But not at the expense of HTF. Let's not get silly here. Lucy (my dog) likes being brushed. She also likes sitting there, working her independently operable ears while I tell her what a silly goose she is, so YMMV.
   
   There are some pretty stupid (i.e., fun) activities you can do together. How about popcorn catch? Just chuck unbuttered/unsalted popcorn at her.
   
   There's a company called Happy Dog Toys that makes a bubble gun (it shoots bubbles) with flavored bubbles. Lucy likes stalking the peanut butter-flavored ones.[/list=1]
   Finally, Jeffrey raises a good point. Is there any chance that as your dog ages, she's looking at your interactions with Jade, the other dog, and feels like she's going to be put out to pasture? As a result she might look at you with suspicion and resentment. It's silly, because it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If that's the case maybe you need to make a special effort to feel included and loved. Just a thought anyway.
   
   If it turns out that she hates it when you watch movies in letter-box format, try to educate her on the benefits of OAR. I'd recommend www.widescreen.org for examples.
   
   I never know what they're thinking, although I'm pretty sure my dog thinks of me as That Guy ("Who's that coming down the stairs? Hey, it's That Guy! I wonder if he has a treat for me? I wonder I can bite my back leg for more than 30 seconds?" and so on).
   
   I hope some of this helps.
   
   Best wishes,
   
   Jay