Why won’t my dog let me pet him anymore?

Dogs and humans have had a long history together. Dogs were first domesticated around 16,000 years ago, and humans have been collecting them as pets for over 11,000 years. This long relationship has left us with a lot of questions. Why do dogs make us act so weird? Why do dogs act so weird? And perhaps the most important one of all: why won’t my dog let me pet him anymore? This post will show you likely reasons why your dog won’t let you pet it and what you can do about it.

So, why won’t my dog let me pet it anymore? Possible reasons why your dog won’t let you pet it are injury, intimidation, it does not like the way you pet it or something causing it to become anxious.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog won’t let you pet it anymore and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Why won’t my dog let me pet it anymore?

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog won’t let you pet it and what would make each of them more likely.

Injury

The cause could be that it has gotten an injury. This would be more likely if your dog has stopped wanting to be petted suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of having an injury such as limping or crying when you touch it in a certain spot.

Intimidation

Another possible reason is that you have been intimidating it. This would be more likely if your dog doesn’t want you to pet it when you approach it boldly, when you pet it strongly, or when you are being loud.

Your dog does not like the way you pet it

Another possible reason is that you started touching it in a way that it does not like. This would be more likely if you started touching it in a different manner and if it does let you touch it when you touch it in a certain manner.

Something causing it to be anxious

Another possible reason is that there is something in its environment that has been causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if it has stopped letting you pet it since a change in its environment such as if you moved homes or if it does it more at a certain time such as when another dog is around or when there are loud noises outside.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.

If your dog has never let you pet it

It would help to consider what else happened when your dog first stopped letting you pet it since there might have been an event that caused it to stop. If it stopped wanting to be touched at the same time that it stopped moving around as much, it would be more likely to be due to an injury. Whereas, if it started doing it when you started touching it differently, it would be more likely that it does not like the way you have been touching it.

What is different when your dog does let you pet it

If your dog does let you pet it sometimes, it would also help to consider what is different when it does let you pet it. For example, if it does let you pet it when you approach it slowly, it might be the case that it gets intimidated sometimes.

What to do about your dog not letting you pet it

The good news is that, with some patience and an understanding of what may be going on with your dog, you can usually come up with a solution to the problem. Below are some potential things you can do about it.

Be calm with it

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has been doing it due to being intimidated. Instead, it would help to be calm with it, to pet it gently and to approach it calmly.

Get help

If your dog has started doing it suddenly and it has been showing signs of being injured, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By taking it to a vet, you should be able to rule out medical causes and to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog.

Limit reasons why it might be anxious

It would also help to limit possible reasons why your dog might be anxious. Ways to do so would be to separate it from other dogs that it does not like or letting it stay in a quiet room when if it gets anxious at a certain time.