Weird Dog Facts: Is your dog so freaky that it doesn’t like to be hugged?

If we tell you that you have to refrain yourself from hugging that cute ball of fur, and yes you heard it right the word is refrain; you might just think that this is the most absurd assertion one can make! Well for humans hugs equal to affection galore, more the touching and hugging more the love. This does not hold true for our four legged companions. After all, dogs might not be such a big fan of the hug.

“Surprised?” Don’t be.
Rather it’s about time to learn the very fundamentals of dog body language to comprehend effectively what the pet is really trying to say. Understanding and acknowledging dog behavior can help in preventing the many unpredictable dreadful dog bites. These four legged friends yearn for all the pampering as well as human-love and care, perhaps hug is not an appropriate way to communicate the same.

Observe how your pooch reacts to the various ways you pat or touch it. Its response will increasingly differ in each of these interactions – an ear rub, a scratch on the chest or under the chin, a scratch on the head and a hug. It may in all probability greatly appreciate a rub on his ear and chest when compared to a hug or a stroke on the top of the head.

Do dogs really talk to their owners, day in & day out?

Dog lovers and owners can alleviate the pet’s stress by noting its body postures and gestures that communicate feelings of sadness or joy; ease or discomfort and overall well being.

A simple yawn could mean that the dog is anxious. Apprehension is also expressed through scratching its collar. A dog owner might always equate licking of the lips with the pet being hungry for food but it is also the dog’s way of communicating discomfort towards a situation or thing.

A lovey-dovey dog squeeze: Expression of love or Punishment for wrong

Pet dogs and their human parents are two different species; hence how a dog will interpret a hug will vary hugely from human inference.

So should we reserve hugs for humans and not dogs!
Let’s take a look into this subject. It is observed that in most cases pooches regard an embrace as a danger. Though there are individual differences that need to be noted. Some canines may just let the moment of the cuddle to pass and not pay heed to it. While others get still and stiff and express anxiety with gestures such as pulling the ears tightly backwards, closed mouth, tense eyes and licking of the lips. A cuddle to the poor four legged fellow is like a punishment for some wrong doing and not a sign of friendship and positive feelings.

As a considerate pet parent take cues from the dog’s unusual behavior and candid body language to accommodate its likes and dislikes. How does it reciprocate to your hug? If it bends over and cuddles up to you then be assured it is comfortable with this idea. The same dog though may not tolerate cuddling from a stranger; hence one must be wary of turning on the demon in an otherwise adorable, friendly and calm furry paw. But if it is not a fan of cuddling, it will respond to your bending over by running away. Instead it may prefer you to scratch his ear that it may enjoy greatly.

Have you ever seen one dog greet another one with a hug?

Never! Dogs greet one another with a wagging tail, sniffing the face and the hind part of the other pooch but never a hug. Also a play bow is used by canines to invite people and animals to play games and have some fun. The message is communicated by bringing the chest closer to the ground and the back remains up. One reason human beings share a wonderful bond and inexplicably a deep relationship with dogs is the common ability for play.

Let’s try and make our dogs tolerant of hugs

This will require a lot of patience on your part and bags full of dog treats. The trick is to connect proximity with rewards and something positive. Each time you sit close to your canine companion and put your arm around its neck or top of the backside, offer it some treats. You can also reward your canine family member with something that it’s fond of like a game of fetch or tickling its tummy. In order to promote tolerance for something that your pet is not innately inclined to, it is best to start these lessons when it is still a small pup. You can also allow the pup to interact closely in this manner with other people in the family and outside.