Why does my dog hate my roommate?

If your dog hates your roommate, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.

So, why does my dog hate my roommate? Likely reasons why your dog hates your roommate are that it is not used to having them in its living environment, your roommate’s body language intimidates it or that it has learned that the behavior is rewarded.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog does it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Why does my dog hate my roommate?

Below are common reasons why your dog hates your roommate and what would make them more likely.

Your dog is not used to your roommate

Dog’s tend to become protective of the area that they live in. If your dog has been living in your dorm room a lot and your roommate is not always there, it would be likely that your dog is trying to protect its living area from an intruder. In this case, your dog should become more comfortable as it gets used to having your roommate be around more often.

Your dog gets intimidated by your roommate’s body language

It might also be the case that your dog has been getting intimidated by your roommate’s body language or behavior. This would be more likely if your dog tends to get aggressive when your roommate approaches it or when your roommate talks.

Encouraging the behavior

It could also be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it barks at your roommate, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards and because it thinks that it is justified in thinking your roommate is a threat.

Nature

It could also be the case that your dog is naturally distrusting of people that it does not know. This would be more likely if your dog barks at people on walks as well. Again, in this case, your dog should start to behave more as it becomes more comfortable.

How to get my dog to be nicer to my roommate?

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Avoid rewarding the behavior

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. Instead, it would help to avoid giving it rewards when it barks at your roommate, to reward it when it is well behaved and, if possible, to give it a “time out” when it starts barking at your roommate.

Redirect its focus

Another option would be to try to redirect your dog’s focus and to give it distractions so that it is less likely to be hostile towards your roommate. Ways to do so could include giving it toys or bones to be occupied with.

Get it to stay at home

If your dog has been very unwelcoming of your roommate and you cannot get it to stop, another option would be to get your dog to stay at home and let family members look after it.

Why is my dog scared of my roommate?

Likely reasons why your dog is scared of your roommate are that your dog feels threatened by their body language or that your dog is not used to having someone else be in its living space. It would help to reward your dog when it does not show signs of being scared, to give it things to be occupied with and to try to avoid rewarding it when it does show signs of being scared.