Does your dog seem a bit aloof, avoiding eye contact and moving away from you when you go near them? Your pet may very well be upset with you.
Certified veterinary technician (CVT) Kait Hembree told Newsweek that if your dog has a "negative association" towards you—meaning they're upset with you—"it will be clear by their body language."
It's no surprise that dogs can get upset because our canines are incredibly perceptive, sensitive beings that are capable of sensing emotions and reading the facial expressions of humans.
Research has shown that dogs combine hearing and sight to correspond happy and angry human faces with happy and angry vocalizations, according to Stephanie Gibeault, a certified personal dog trainer, in an April 2018 article for the American Kennel Club.
Dogs are even able to "distinguish intentional actions from unintentional behavior," a September 2021 study published in the peer-reviewed Scientific Reports found.
But how do you know when your pup is mad at you? And can dogs forgive you after you've upset them?
How to Tell When You've Upset Your Dog
Hembree is a veterinary behavior nurse at GoodPup, a provider of dog-training services. She told Newsweek: "If your dog is struggling with a negative association towards you or remains upset, it will be clear by their body language."
This body language might entail moving away from you, being more aloof, averting your gaze when you look in their direction. It could also mean sitting in another location if you come near them, holding their tail low or even between their legs. "They might even go as far as snarling or growling at you," Hembree added.
6 Signs That Show Your Dog Is Upset
- Moving away from you
- Being more aloof
- Averting your gaze when you look in their direction
- Sitting in another location if you come near them
- Holding their tail low or even between their legs
- Snarling or growling at you
If you notice these signs, it's important to remember that these are just communication signals.
Hembree said: "Your dog is telling you how he feels and, just like a friend telling you they need their space, you want to give your dog some space too.
"Come back once he has settled down, back up in your training process and then begin again moving more slowly forward than before," Hembree added.
Can Dogs Forgive You?
The short answer? Yes. But it will require some training for your dog to get rid of their negative association toward you.
Hembree said that, to change this negative association, you will most likely need to implement some "behavior modification using desensitization and counterconditioning."
This will involve exposing your dog to you, or what you did that bothered them, "at an intensity level that results in little to no stress while countering their negative association with something they love, such as food," Hembree added. "Over time, you can slowly increase the intensity of what your dog deemed as adverse."
Depending on the level of stress your pooch experienced during the negative association, this behavior modification process "could take some time or days, if not longer," Hembree added.
But it is "often highly successful when implemented correctly," the veterinary behavior nurse said.
You'll know that your dog no longer has a negative association toward you or is upset with you because of their body language, which will be more relaxed.
"It will be looser, ears forward, soft brows, wagging tails level with their back. And the biggest indicator will be their desire to be around, near and with you," Hembree said.
Do you have a pet-related question or dilemma to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
