Why doesn’t my dog want to be around me?

If your dog does not want to be around you, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what you can do about them.

So, why does my dog not want to be around me? Possible reasons why your dog does not want to be around you are that it is intimidated, tired, depressed, it thinks it is in trouble, there was a traumatic event, or it is timid due to its age.

There are actually multiple reasons why your dog might have been doing it and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Reasons why your dog does not want to be around you

Below are a number of possible causes and what would make each of them more likely to be the main cause.

Intimidation

The cause could also be that your actions have been intimidating it. This would be more likely if you tend to approach it in an aggressive manner, you shout at it a lot or make large movements around it. Instead, it would help to be calm around it and to change its behavior with training.

It might also be the case that another person or animal has been intimidating your dog and it is actually avoiding them. This would be more likely if your dog does not always avoid you and it only does it when a certain person or pet is around.

Fatigue

Another possible cause is that something has been causing it to feel tired so it has been avoiding you because it wants to sleep. This would be more likely if your dog always sleeps when it does not want to be around you. It might be the case that there is an issue with the room that it sleeps in at night that causes it to struggle to fall asleep.

An issue with its diet

Another possible cause is that there is an issue with its diet. It could be the case that its diet is causing it to feel tired or to not want to move around much. This would be more likely if your dog tends to avoid you more when it eats certain foods or it has been doing it since a change in its diet.

Rewarding the behavior

It could also be the case that you have encouraged the behavior by giving it rewards when it avoids you. If you tend to give it things such as treats, toys or extra attention, when it avoids you, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards. Instead, it would help to reward it when it shows interest in you but to stop giving it rewards or attention when it starts avoiding you.

Illness or injury

The cause could be that it has gotten an illness or injury. This would be more likely if it started showing signs of being ill or injured at the same time that it started avoiding you by doing things such as not eating as much, vomiting or limping. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Depression

The cause might also be that something has caused it to be depressed. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly, since an event that might have caused it to get depressed, and if it has been behaving differently in other ways as well.

It thinks it’s in trouble

The cause might also be that it thinks it is in trouble. This would be more likely if it tends to avoid you when you have gotten annoyed with it. In this case, it would help to try to change its behavior with the use of positive reinforcement training or Nothing In Life Is Free dog training instead of using a fear based approach.

A traumatic event

It could also be the case that there was a traumatic event that has changed its behavior. This would be more likely if it started doing it suddenly after an event such as an owner leaving or something being violent towards it. Again, if the behavior persists, it would help to get help from a vet or a dog behaviorist.

Age

If your dog is still a puppy, the cause might be that it is going through a more frightful period. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been behaving unusually in other ways as well. If the behavior persists, it would help to take it to a vet for a checkup.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What else happened when your first started staying away from you

If your dog did not always not want to be around you, it would help to consider what else happened when it stopped doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as a traumatic event, someone being aggressive towards it or an injury.

What is different when your dog does not stay away from you

If it does not always avoid you, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not avoid you. For example, if it starts avoiding you when you have been talking loudly, it could be the case that it feels intimidated.

What to do about your dog not wanting to be around you

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

Avoid encouraging it

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it does not. So, it would help to give it rewards whenever it does not avoid you.

Be calm with it

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your own behavior has been causing it to get intimidated. It would help to interact with your dog in a calm manner and to try to get it to behave the way you want it to with positive reinforcement training instead of fear based methods.

Get help

If your dog has been showing signs of being ill or injured or your dog has been behaving very unusually, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your dog and to rule out medical causes.