15 Reasons Why (Some) People Hate Dogs

15 Reasons why some people hate dogs – yes, you read that right –

There are some people out there that don’t like dogs.

As a dog lover, it’s hard to imagine anyone not loving dogs. After all, they’re cute, cuddly, and full of love.

But just because I don’t necessarily hold the same opinions as others don’t mean I can’t understand where they are coming from.

So today I hope to shed some light for you too, to help you understand why some people don’t like dogs.

Of course, we will dive much deeper into the topic as we progress through this article, but let’s start with a summarized response.

The truth is, there are many reasons that people don’t like dogs. Perhaps it has to do with their religion, or maybe they have had a traumatic experience as a child.

Some people don’t like dogs because of common characteristics that dogs share like licking, sniffing, or chewing habits.

So let’s divide these reasons up into a few different categories and take a closer look:

• Behavioral concerns
• Care concerns
• Personal matters

Let’s get started:

Behavioral Concerns:

1. Dogs lick

If you own a dog or have ever spent any amount of time near a dog, chances are they have licked you.

There are many reasons that a dog might lick. From birth, licking is how a mother communicates with her puppies and stimulates a breathing response from them.

It’s also how she keeps her puppies clean. A dog who licks a lot might even be doing so as a form of affection, as a form of comfort, or simply because they like the taste of salty skin.

But while some people love puppy kisses, not everyone is so welcoming to them.

This is especially true of people who have fears of germs. The truth is, you don’t know where your dog’s mouth has been – they lick their genitals, they sniff feces, and they aren’t always fussy about what goes into their mouth.

For someone afraid of germs, this is their worst nightmare and can be a contributing factor towards a dislike of dogs.

2. Dogs like to get dirty

While we would all like to think that we do a pretty good job of keeping our dogs clean, the reality is that dogs get messy.

They roll in the dirt. They walk through feces – they might even attempt to drink out of the toilet bowl.

And even if they don’t engage in any of these behaviors, all dogs have to walk outside at some point. Doing this allows them to pick up dirt and bacteria on their paws and track it back into the house.

While most of us think nothing of this, people who are afraid of germs may think differently.

The truth is, there is little harm that is going to come from having a dog in the house, but for people who are afraid of germs, the fear is very real and is enough to keep them from ever wanting to own a dog.

4. Dogs bark

Barking is a dog’s natural form of communication.

They may bark to discipline their young, to warn family members of danger, to threaten away intruders, to generate play, or to let their owners know that something is wrong.

In most cases, barking is short-lived, but in some cases, like those relating to separation anxiety, it may be persistent.

Most of us don’t like when our dog barks, but we deal with because we love our dogs. Some people, on the other hand, prefer not to deal with it at all and don’t like dogs because of it.

5. They can be destructive

Anyone who has ever owned a puppy knows enough to keep their shoes off the floor.

Why?

Because puppies can be destructive, like babies, puppies need things to chew on when they are teething, and until they learn what is appropriate to chew on (i.e., chew toys) and what isn’t, they will chew anything in sight.

Most puppies will eventually grow out of the chewing phase, but some dogs continue to be destructive as adults.

Chewing in adulthood can be related to several things including boredom, lack of proper chew toys, lack of exercise or mental stimulation, lack of supervision, fear, or separation anxiety.

Again, most of us don’t enjoy chewing behaviors but will tolerate them because we love our dogs.

But for some people, this behavior is enough to make them hate dogs altogether.

6. They can be rambunctious

Dogs, especially as puppies, can be easily excitable. Until they are properly trained, this excitement can lead to excessive licking, jumping, barking, and other undesirable behaviors.

For some people, behaviors like these can trigger a fear response and is another reason that someone may not like dogs.

Care Concerns

7. Dogs take time

Owning a dog is like having a second child. They require time, attention, and affection. Dogs need to be fed, walked, played with, cleaned up after, and so forth.

And if you own a dog from the time they are a puppy, they require even more in the way of training, discipline, and attention.

Not everyone has the desire or time to take care of a dog, and some people don’t like them for this very reason.

8. They poop

Everybody poops – and so do dogs. Unfortunately, dogs don’t use the toilet and clean up after themselves the same way that humans do – which leaves us to do the dirty work.

Not everyone wants to clean up dog poop from their yard or while on a walk, and it can be enough to prevent some people from owning a dog altogether.

9. They vomit

Feces isn’t the only thing you have to worry about when you have a dog. Again, like humans, dogs can get sick.

And when they do, it’s not fun to clean up. For this reason, people who have a soft stomach might not do well with a dog.

10. They are costly

Owning a dog can be expensive. They require food, toys, and other supplies, and also need grooming and regular vet checks.

Also, health care costs can be quite expensive if your dog gets sick or injured.

Not everyone has the finances to afford a dog, and some people don’t want the added expense.

11. They shed

Regardless of what kind of dog you own (unless you own a hairless dog), all dogs shed.

While some shed more than others, the process is completely normal and inevitable.

Dogs shed for several reasons, the main one being as a way to control their body temperature. They may also shed their fur naturally when their hair stops growing.

Several factors may influence how much or how little a dog sheds including the breed, the length of their fur, their health condition, the season, and their environment. Shedding is heaviest during spring and fall seasons.

Although there are things we can do to reduce fur loss (i.e., regular brushing), we can’t prevent it altogether.

Most dog owners deal with fur in their carpets, on their furniture, and even on their clothes. Dog lovers don’t mind doing the extra cleanup, but some people might avoid owning a dog for this very reason.

Personal Concerns:

12. Allergies

Allergies can make life hard, and pet allergies are common.

In fact, according to statistics, between 15 and 30 percent of all Americans suffer from allergies to pets. Allergies to cats are more common, but allergies to dogs are more severe.

People with allergies that come into contact with dogs may experience swollen and itchy eyes, skin irritations and rashes, coughing, shortness of breath, or even a severe asthma attack.

As you can imagine, these symptoms are anything but pleasant, and so it’s completely understandable how anyone with a dog allergy would prefer not to be around dogs.

13. Travel plans

As I mentioned before, dogs require time and energy. And one thing you need to think about with dogs is your travel plans and your regular plans.

Someone without a dog can spend the entire day away without a thought. But if you have a dog, you have the responsibility to make sure it has food and water, and that it has been let outside to use the washroom. In other words, dogs are an added responsibility.

In addition to everyday plans, dogs can affect travel plans. You can’t just take off and leave your dog home alone while on a week-long vacation.

With a dog, vacations require planning and, in many cases, extra money to hire a dog sitter.

14. Previous trauma

Trauma is one of the leading causes of fear. If someone has had a traumatic experience, it’s not uncommon that they will grow to be afraid of whatever caused that experience to happen.

And while us dog lovers would like to think that every dog in the world is friendly, this isn’t always the case.

Some dogs bite. And though dog attacks and bites are rare, they do happen. When they do, they can lead someone to have a great fear of dogs, especially if they were attacked during their childhood.

15. Religion

In some religions, dogs are seen as evil or dirty. In the Muslim faith, for example, dogs are traditionally seen as impure.^[1]

Traditions in Islam suggest that if a dog is seen during prayer, these prayers can be nullified. But the Islamic religion didn’t always view dogs this way.

In fact, in the beginnings of the religion, dogs were commonly used for things like guarding livestock and hunting prey.

So where did the dislike for dogs come from?

As Islam spread throughout the Middle East and the world, religion started to enter into cities.

Here, dogs also played an important role, but of a different kind – they ate garbage and were used to keep the city streets clean. But what started as a job for dogs also eventually attributed to their dislike.

As disease started to progress within cities, people in the Middle East soon noticed a correlation between outbreaks (from the plague, malaria, etc.) and “dirty” places like cemeteries, swamps, and garbage dumps.

Because dogs ate the trash that was associated with outbreaks and illness, they soon because associated with it themselves.

Now, instead of being seen as a resource to humans, they became recognized as a public health threat.

As a result, dogs became seen as a threat and were labeled as disease-ridden and expendable.

Unfortunately, that ideology has stuck, and many Muslims still have a severe dislike of dogs.

• Dislike for the owners

Sometimes it’s not the dog that people dislike; it’s the owner. Let’s face it; not all dog owners are made equally.

While most pet owners are respectful and responsible, this isn’t true for everyone.

Some pet owners refuse to pick up their dog poop, some pet owners let their dog jump all over other people, and others leave their dog outside to bark all day.

Unfortunately, people like this can give dogs a bad reputation, leaving other people to develop a dislike for the animal.

Conclusion:

As you can see, there are many reasons that someone may dislike dogs. Though I could not love dogs more, not everyone feels the same way – and that’s okay.

We don’t all have to love dogs. What we do need to do, however, is respect each other’s differences.

If someone doesn’t like dogs, respect it, and keep your dog at a distance.

You’ll find more dog pros and cons questions in the links below:

References:

1.
[^] “Dogs in Religion.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Sept. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_in_religion.