7 Ways You Might Be Hurting Your Dog’s Feelings, Say Experts

Can you really hurt a dog’s feelings? This is a question many pet parents and dog lovers ask. As a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant, I strongly believe the short answer is yes—you can unintentionally hurt your dog’s feelings. Dogs communicate differently than humans, so it can be tricky to recognize if you accidentally did something that caused your dog to feel sad, anxious, or stressed. That’s why I’m revealing a list of seven signs you hurt your dogs feeling and how you can rebuild trust if you do.

After all, understanding signs of dog stress or sadness and reading their body language is the key to maintaining a healthy bond and trust with your dog. Their emotional systems for the most part include feelings such as anxiety, fear, boredom and frustration. These emotional states, just as it happens in people, change a dog’s heart rate and cortisol levels, which can impact a dog’s behavior and long-term wellbeing. The good news is, dogs are quite forgiving creatures, so those hurt feelings usually heal fast if you do the right things to regain their trust.

So, if you’re curious what actions you may do as a pet owner that can accidently cause your pup to feel rejected or disappointed, keep reading. We’ll cover that and more. Once you understand a dog’s emotions better, you’ll discover that the signs your dog shows when they are sad due to their feelings being hurt are easier for you to recognize. Then you will be able to repair your human-dog bond and help your dog feel loved again. Plus, you’ll have a better overall emotional connection with your dog as a result, which means your pet-relationship will be stronger.

Things That Can Hurt Your Dog’s Feelings

How do a dog’s feelings get hurt? Dogs are highly sensitive to their environment and form expectations based on consistent patterns in their daily life. For example, if you say a word your dog loves, such as “walk,” but for one reason or another you don’t follow through, your dog may feel confused, disappointed, or even stressed. Repeatedly violating these expectations can erode trust, contribute to dog anxiety, and lead to learned helplessness.

A dog’s feelings can also be hurt when they feel socially rejected, ignored, or experience inconsistent or unpredictable punishment. Harsh handling, teasing, or unmet needs can further damage your dog’s emotional well-being. Recognizing these subtle signs of hurt in your dog and understanding their behavior is essential for rebuilding trust, strengthening the human-dog bond, and supporting their emotional welfare.

7 Signs Your Dog’s Feelings Have Been Hurt

As you can see, a dog’s feelings can sometimes be hurt without you even realizing it. Here are seven subtle signs your dog’s feelings may be hurt that many pet owners often overlook, along with tips to rebuild trust and strengthen your bond.

Social Withdrawal

Dogs are naturally social animals who thrive on interaction with their humans. If your dog begins to withdraw, avoid eye contact, or turn their head away when you speak to them, it may be a sign that their feelings are hurt or that they are experiencing stress or anxiety. It’s important to note that these behaviors are different from normal aloofness—recognizing subtle signs of emotional discomfort can help you rebuild trust and support your dog’s emotional well-being.

Droopy Body Language

Body language changes area another sign your dog’s feelings are hurt or that they are feeling sad and rejected. Your dog may carry their tail low, flatten their ears against their head, cower, or walk with a lowered posture, as if trying to make themselves small or invisible. These behaviors are often a result of emotional deflation caused by negative experiences or unmet needs. Recognizing these subtle signs of stress or sadness in dogs can help you respond with care, rebuild trust, and strengthen your human-dog bond.

Appeasement Behaviors

Appeasement behaviors are meant to pacify you. In other words, they occur in response to actions from you that may be perceived as confrontational by your dog. Your dog may therefore cower, roll over his back or lick your hand in hopes of pacifying you. It’s as if they were saying something along the lines of “Please don’t hurt me, can we please be friends again?”

Checking Out

Dogs may emotionally “check out” when they are negatively impacted. This emotional shutdown is referred to as “learned helplessness” and occurs in response to aversive situations such as unpredictability, punishment-based training or harsh corrections.

Excess Clinginess

Just like humans, dogs can develop insecure attachment, which may cause them to become excessively clingy. Affected dogs might follow you from room to room, whine, lean on you, or seek constant reassurance that they are still loved. This behavior is often a sign that their feelings are hurt or that they are experiencing stress and anxiety. Clinginess is the opposite of the avoidant behaviors discussed earlier, and recognizing it can help you rebuild trust and strengthen your dog’s emotional well-being.

Sudden Regression

The emotional turmoil associated with having feelings hurt may result in pee or poop accidents in the house, destructive chewing, or excessive barking when left alone. Emotional distress disrupts learned routines and impulse control, just like human stress makes us eat ice cream for dinner.

The Vanishing Act

If your dog suddenly hides under furniture, goes to another room, or avoids contact after a negative interaction, this can be a sign you hurt their feelings. In this case, your dog is likely feeling fear or uncertainty about you. Their emotional safety net has a tear in it and that is why they are behaving this way.

How to Rebuild Your Dog’s Trust

When a dog’s feelings are hurt, their sense of predictability, safety, or social affiliation with us has taken a dent and it’s therefore important to remedy the whole situation. Fortunately, there are ways to reestablish trust and a sense of safety in your dog. The following are several tips.

Be Predictable

Dogs thrive on routine and consistency, which give them a sense of security and familiarity. Using consistent cues and following through on promises helps your dog feel safe and valued. Predictability not only reduces cognitive stress and anxiety but also prevents their feelings from being hurt, helping to build trust and strengthen your human-dog bond.

Embrace Gentle Training

Using positive reinforcement training and avoiding punishment-based methods helps ensure your dog’s feelings aren’t hurt while learning. Rewarding desired behaviors builds trust more effectively than punishing unwanted actions, supporting your dog’s emotional well-being and strengthening your human-dog bond. Gentle, consistent training reduces stress and anxiety in dogs and fosters a happy, secure relationship..

Read Body Language

Learning to recognize a dog’s early signs of stress and discomfort is essential for protecting their emotional well-being. Behaviors such as yawning, lip-licking, whale-eye, lowered body posture, and a tucked tail are clear signals that your dog’s feelings may be hurt. Understanding these cues allows you to respond with care, rebuild trust and strengthen your human-dog bond.

Rebuild Trust Gradually

If you’ve startled or upset your dog, it’s important to remain calm and avoid hovering. Rebuild their trust through short, safe and positive interactions, which help your dog feel secure and valued. Consistently responding with patience supports their emotional well-being, heals hurt feelings, and strengthens your human-dog bond over time.

Get Professional Help

If you’re unsure why your dog’s feelings are hurt or notice persistent stress, fear, or aggression, consult professionals. A veterinarian can rule out medical causes, while a qualified dog behaviorist can address ongoing behavioral issues. Seeking expert guidance supports your dog’s emotional well-being, helps rebuild trust, and ensures a safe, happy human-dog bond.

Sources:

Hiby, Elly & Rooney, Nicola & Bradshaw, J. (2004). Dog training methods: Their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare

Kujala, Miiamaaria. (2018). Canine emotions: Guidelines for research. Animal Sentience

Pedretti, Giulia & Canori, Chiara & Biffi, Eleonora & Marshall-Pescini, Sarah & Valsecchi, Paola. (2023). Appeasement function of displacement behaviours? Dogs’ behavioural displays exhibited towards threatening and neutral humans. Animal Cognition

This story was originally reported by Parade Pets on Nov 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Dogs section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.