As a dog owner, everyone has accidentally hurt the feelings of their dog. This includes stepping on their tail, forgetting to bring their treats, forgetting to give them food, or scolding them. After this, you find ways to how do you apologize to your dog to let him forgive you. But it is difficult to judge whether your dog really forgives you or even didn’t know that you are apologizing to him.
Ways To Apologize to Your Dog:
Do not Use Treats to Apologize:
Treats should never be used as a communication tool while apologizing to your dog.Treats play a great role but only in the training sessions of your dog but are not great when it comes to an apology. Treats are often used to praise your dog when he does something good. Dogs link treats with rewards when they have achieved something or have learned something, which is not the case here. Here you have to win the dog’s confidence in you, so loving and talking to them will be advantageous.
Pay Attention to the Tone of Your Voice:
As mentioned before, dogs generally do not get all the words that you have said but understand the tone of voice that you use to communicate with them. Words like “I apologize” and “sorry” should come out clean but with a soft tone to attempt to create a positive interaction. You should also keep patience as it will take time to obtain desirable results.
Spending Some Time With Your Dog:
If your dog responds positively after you have said sorry, then do not leave them at once. Play with them and spend time with them. Rubbing their belly and snuggling is also preferred so that dog will understand that he has to be no more afraid of you.
Regaining Your Dog’s Trust:
If still, your dog is afraid of you, do not get hyper. Instead, keep patience as the previous incident might be traumatized him deeply. It will take some time but hope for the best as dogs always look at you as your protector, and eventually, they will come back to you.
Giving Them Space:
Some dogs quickly need your attention after any unfortunate incident. But some dogs lie to be alone for some time to calm down. If your dog is growling at you when you approach him, then it means that he wants to be alone. Give them time to be alone and respect their decision. After some time, your dog may come to approach you, so at that time, you can apologize to them. But make sure that they are resting in a secure location such as their crate.
Will They Forgive You?
You will never be sure whether your dog will forgive you. The emotional state of dogs or cats is different from that of humans. Both humans and dogs tend to forgive others is complicated, and research has been going on it for several years. Forgiveness is not a physical activity. It’s a mental state when you forget the situation and move on with life.
Dogs are not known to hold any guilt or grudges. Usually, they forget the unfortunate incident and move on as if nothing has happened. But humans are different. They can hold grudges for years or throughout their life which is not good. In this case, we have to learn from canines and their ability to forgive and forget.
Since dogs and even cats have psychic abilities, the best approach to interact with them is to be sincere and emotional. Instead of trying to offer them treats or toys to apologize, imagine yourself in the situation and think about whether it’s good enough to forgive. Creating a powerful visual and then attempting to apologize to your dog is the perfect approach that will give you success.
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Can Dogs Understand When You are Apologizing to Them?
It is a mystery whether or not dogs understand when you are saying “I am Sorry” to them. But, surely, dogs are intelligent animals, and they understand your body language and tone of voice more accurately than the words we say. It is still unclear whether dogs have feelings and what goes through their minds. But as an owner, you have to reconnect with your dog and let him know that you are no more angry with them. They should also know that you are supporting and loving them as before.
You’ll be relieved to know that dogs don’t harbor grudges, fortunately. If you ever notice their sudden change of behavior, it might be they are scared, or you have harmed them, but it lasts for only some time. Dogs are also good at understanding your actions, so they know whether you have stepped on them accidentally or done something intentionally. Therefore, it is more probable that they will forgive you quickly.
How to Calm Down a Hurt or Scared Dog?
Many times dogs get severely scared when you scold or hurt them. Shelter dogs who have a fearful past often show such signs. If you do not act right away, such dogs begin to disregard and distrust you. Whenever you see that your dog hides in a corner and tries to run away from you, say their name in a soft tone. Then approach them but keep a safe distance. Talk to them for some time if they won’t come near you, give them their space and respect their decision. In such cases, it takes time to make the dog come near you. But as soon as they come, pat them with a light hand if you feel that they are calm and normal.
So now you understand many ways to how do you apologize to your dog. Make sure that whenever you apologize to your dog, your voice should be grateful and cheerful. If your dog responds positively, spend some time with your dog and do his favorite things, like giving treats or playing games. By this, you will further strengthen the bonding with your dog.