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Do dogs pick favorites? Absolutely — and while many pups form strong bonds with one person in the household, they’re usually friendly with others, too. But sometimes, a dog will take a clear dislike to someone, whether it’s a visiting friend or even a family member.
I’ve seen this firsthand with my dog, Tiny. While he’s typically a friendly little guy with strangers, certain people walk through our door, and he becomes cautious or backs away. It always feels so random, but is it?
Why do dogs not like certain people? Or maybe you’re asking yourself, “Why don’t dogs like me?” I decided to dig into canine behavior to uncover what’s really going on in those furry little heads.
Why Do Dogs Not Like Certain People? 5 Researched Reasons
While a dog’s disdain for a person may seem random, our canine companions definitely have their reasons. Contrary to the old saying “a dog is a man’s best friend,” sometimes that’s far from reality.
Much research has shown that dogs are more than adequately adept at reading and interpreting human behavior in several ways. And some human social cues can turn dogs off to certain people.
It’s yet another sign that our dogs are remarkable beings — and more intelligent and complex than many of us understand.
1. Body Language
Dogs have an incredible sense of interpreting human body language. However, they decode some body movements differently than the way humans do. In many cases, dogs can pick up on what we wouldn’t even notice about some people.
Negative Cues
If a person who dislikes dogs is stiff around a dog and displays nervous or awkward body movements, a dog might take that as a sign to avoid that person.
Eye contact is also an important social cue for dogs. While humans find direct eye contact positive, the opposite is true for canines. Our pups can sometimes find direct eye contact as threatening.
Over-The-Top Cues
Then, you have overly positive behavior demonstrated by what USA Dog Behavior experts call “The Dog Lover.” These dog lovers, they explain, don’t understand how to interact with a new dog at first and go overboard with attention.
They may get directly into a dog’s face, pet them on the top of their head, and make sudden movements. Many dogs find this behavior off-putting when meeting a new person.
It’s best to kneel down and offer your hand for a dog to sniff. Let them come to you.
Look at it this way. If you’re an introvert and don’t like people hugging you or being too familiar upon a first meeting, some dogs react the same way.
2. Tone Of Voice
Dogs are also experts at reading a person’s tone of voice. Studies have shown that dogs pick up on our volume, tone, intonation, and even the emotion behind the words we speak to them.
Dogs’ brains respond positively to a cheerful, happy, excited tone of voice. However, a loud booming, angry sounding voice will turn them away.
3. Scent
Then, you have the power of a dog’s nose. A 2017 study published in Animal Cognition demonstrated that dogs can actually smell human emotions like fear and happiness through a person’s sweat.
Scientists exposed dogs to three stimuli—their owner, a stranger, and an odor dispenser containing either fear sweat, happy sweat, or no sweat (the control).
Researchers found that when the dogs were exposed to happy sweat, they interacted more with the stranger than their owner and had lower heart rates.
However, when dogs experienced the fear odor, they showed more signs of stress behaviors, had less interaction with strangers, and sought reassurance from their owners.
4. Human-To-Human Interactions
Research has shown that dogs use a technique called “social eavesdropping” to decipher human conversations and interactions. Dogs continuously watch how their owners interact with others, and they utilize this information to create views of each person.
For example, a dog is likely to react favorably to someone who is helpful and nice to their dog’s owner. On the other hand, someone who is aloof or unfriendly with their owner may result in a negative impression.
5. Past Experiences
Due to their exceptional memory, dogs are able to link particular people to unpleasant experiences like being yelled at or frightened.
If they have had a bad experience with a person, they may act suspiciously, fearfully, or aggressively toward them in the future.
Rescue dogs who have had past traumatic experiences with people can have negative reactions to a person who reminds them of someone in their past.
This past association could apply to a person’s gender, physical characteristics, voice, or body language.
Our Personal Experience With Discerning Dogs
Two of my team members shared their dogs’ quirks about being put off by some people. Don’t you wish you could get read their minds to know what’s going on in there?!
Daisy is 80 pounds of fluff, sass, and selective affection. She’ll ignore squirrels and greet the mail carrier but older men, especially with deep voices and slow walks? Enemy territory.
Our neighbor Mr. Henderson, a kind man in a sun hat, has done nothing but exist, and that’s enough for Daisy. The moment she hears his gate or rake, she launches to the fence, barking like she’s filing a formal complaint.
He’s tried everything: kind words, treats, even saying, “I used to have a dog like you.” She took it as a threat.
Now, she watches him like a hawk. We call her “The Sheriff.” One rule: no older men allowed. Still, it’s all bark—no fence jumping, no real aggression. Maybe she’s protecting us or maybe she just enjoys having a nemesis.
– Danielle DeGroot, Dog and Cat Mom & Writer at Canine Journal
My young Dachshund, Chips, is usually a brave little explorer except when it comes to hats or masks. On walks, she freezes or growls if someone in a beanie or cap passes by.
The mask fear was a surprise: I once put on my toddler’s festival mask for fun, and Chips totally panicked—barking, scrambling, then bolting to the kitchen where she pooped! Safe to say, costume parties aren’t in her future.
– Emma Braby, Rescue Dog Mom & Writer at Canine Journal
Why Do Dogs Like Some People More Than Others?
If you’ve been a pup owner for a long time, especially with different dogs over your lifetime, you likely know that some prefer certain people over others.
You have your clingy (velcro) breeds, who choose their favorite person in their home. That doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t like other people. They’re just super needy and build a fast emotional bond with their chosen person.
My dog is like this with me. He loves my kids and my husband, but I’m his chosen one — attached to me all day, every day.
I guess he thinks I’m his protector? Who knows? But he is affectionate and playful with my whole family.
What Dog Breeds Are More Wary Of Strangers?
A dog’s breed may also make a difference in how they react to people. For example, those bred to be guard dogs have a natural instinct to be cautious about new people.
While these pups are loving with their family, they may take a while to warm up to your friends or neighbors.
- Akitas
- Basenjis
- Belgian Malinois
- Chow Chows
- Doberman Pinschers
- German Shepherds
- Giant Schnauzers
- Great Pyrenees
- Rottweilers
- Tibetan Mastiffs
What Are The Most Carefree Dog Breeds?
While any dog can be friendly with proper socialization, here are some of the most carefree breeds that love new people.
- Beagles
- Boston Terriers
- Boxers
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- Golden Retrievers
- Labrador Retrievers
- Pembroke Welsh Corgis
- Poodles
- Pugs
- Staffordshire Bull Terriers
Frequently Asked Questions
While this article addresses why dogs don’t like certain people, many owners have other related questions.
I’ll address some of these concerns below, but if you don’t see your particular question here, please ask us in our comments, and we’ll do our best to help answer.
Why Does My Dog Not Like Me?
If your dog seems not to like you, it could be due to a mix of fear, confusion, or unmet needs rather than true dislike. Dogs are sensitive to tone of voice, body language, and consistency in behavior.
If you’re unintentionally harsh, unpredictable, or distant, your dog might feel anxious or unsure around you. A lack of bonding time, inadequate socialization, or negative associations from past interactions can also create distance.
It’s important to approach your dog with patience, gentleness, and consistency, while offering positive experiences like play, treats, and calm attention to rebuild trust and connection.
How Can I Tell If A Dog Doesn’t Like Me?
You can tell a dog doesn’t like you if they avoid eye contact, back away, growl, or show signs of stress like yawning, lip licking, or a tucked tail when you’re near.
These behaviors often indicate discomfort, fear, or mistrust rather than outright dislike.
Socialization & Training Are Key
If your dog didn’t have proper socialization and training at a young age, it’s never too late to bolster their confidence with strangers. Make sure you expose your pup to many different kinds of people in a calm and positive environment.
You can also use positive reinforcement training to help your furry friend gain confidence and, therefore, not be as fearful of new people. If you need some help training your pup, check out our reviews of the best online dog training courses.
