If your dog has taken an immediate disliking to your new girlfriend, you are not alone! While some dogs take immediately to their masters’ significant others, many do not. Figuring out how to deal with your dog’s hatred of your girlfriend or boyfriend can make or break the relationship, and it’s important to try to deal with this issue as early on as possible.
Read on for our advice on how to deal with your dog-hating girlfriend or boyfriend, whether that means making the relationship work anyway or finding another companion who will get along better with your pup!
Why Does My Dog Hate My Girlfriend?
1) Dogs can sense mood shifts
Dogs are extremely intuitive and sensitive creatures. They’re able to sense mood shifts and changes in their environment, even when we can’t. If your dog seems fearful or aggressive around your girlfriend, it could be a sign of anxiety or fear.
There are many reasons why your pup might not like someone else in the home, but if you want to make sure that the situation is not becoming dangerous for anyone involved, then you may want to try these tips.
- To start with, take a day away from each other and spend some time apart from each other. Your pet will be less stressed out this way and so will you.
- Take your dog on a walk together with your partner so they can get used to one another’s scent.
- Give them both treats at the same time so they’ll associate good things with one another.
- Don’t leave either one unattended, especially without supervision from the other person first.
- Try teaching your dog commands while they are looking at your girlfriend.
- Give them toys together to play with and eat meals at the same table!
2) Dogs might not like your girlfriend’s scent
Dogs are very sensitive to smell. Their noses are much more sensitive than ours and they can tell a lot about a person from the way they smell. If your dog is responding negatively to your girlfriend, it might just be because of her scent. There are a few reasons why this could be happening:
- Your dog doesn’t like her scent.
- Your dog has sensed some sort of danger or threat coming from your girlfriend and is reacting accordingly.
- Your dog smells something on her that she shouldn’t have, like fleas or ticks (not likely).
- Your dog is used to you being with someone else, like another pet in the house or even another human being.
- Your dog may not know how to react when you introduce someone new into their life who isn’t an immediate family member and may react negatively for that reason as well.
- Lastly, sometimes dogs can behave aggressively towards people who don’t give them enough attention or don’t make them feel safe in the environment around them; in those cases, they will show aggression no matter who those people are around them.
3) Dogs have specific personalities
Dogs have specific personalities and it is important to understand the dog’s temperament before you get into a relationship with them. For example, my dog hates everyone but me. When my girlfriend comes over, he snarls at her and tries to bite her.
It is unfair to my girlfriend because she feels like she can’t do anything right in his eyes. Therefore, if you have a dog that has a personality that doesn’t mesh with your current partner’s, then you should take steps to resolve the situation before it gets worse.
Read Also: My Boyfriend Wants Me to Choose Between Him and My Dog – Who Do I Choose?
4) Look at the situation from your dog’s perspective
I’m not really sure what to think about my dog’s disdain for my girlfriend. To be honest, she does a lot of things that a lot of people who come into the house don’t do. She spends time with me, she plays with me, and she gives me a lot more attention than most people who come into the house.
Plus, she brings in all sorts of new smells and sounds that I haven’t been exposed to before. All this would be really exciting if it weren’t for the fact that my dog hates her so much! What should we do?
5) Allow time for your dog to adjust
It is important to remember that it takes time for pets to adjust to change. If your dog doesn’t know the new person, they may be wary of them and this can manifest as aggression or fear. It is important not to put pressure on either you or your dog when they first meet. Allow them some time and space while they get used to one another.
6) Create a routine before you bring someone home
- Take your dog on a walk before you bring the new person home. Don’t forget to stop and give your dog some attention, too!
- Try not to have your new love interest over when you’re in the process of house training, or at least make sure that the mess is cleaned up first.
- When outside, keep an eye on your dog and make sure it’s behaving appropriately around the guest. If necessary, take it back inside so that he or she doesn’t get too overwhelmed with feelings of jealousy.
- If you want to bring them home but don’t want to deal with jealous behavior from Fido, try bringing them over after they’ve already been out for a while.