Dogs Hate Hugs, Study Suggests

MSN U.S. News & World Report ^ | April 26, 2016

[SMGFan]

If you love your dogs, you should hug them, right?

Wrong.

In an article published in Psychology Today, psychology professor and neuropsychological researcher Stanley Coren argues that most dogs are actually stressed out by hugs.

The study analyzed 250 Internet photos of people hugging their dogs, scanning for for known signs of anxiety in the dog, including turning their head away, showing the whites of the eyes and slicked back ears.

Coren's data revealed that 82 percent of dogs in the photos showed at least one of those signs of stress. About 8 percent of dogs seemed happy with the hug and the remaining 10 percent appeared neutral or showed an ambiguous response toward the gesture.

[SMGFan]

Did not need a study to know cats do not like hugs. My cat doesn't.

[FES0844]

I don’t buy it.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

bump for later. 300+ post thread to come.

[scottinoc]

They can’t hug you back, it’s awkward.

[blackdog]

Dogs lean into you to show affection. To grasp or hug a dog is an aggressive act.

I think I learned that by about the age of ten?

[smokingfrog]

Maybe kitty doesn’t like you.

[Joe 6-pack]

WOOOF!

The Doggie Ping list is for FReepers who would like to be notified of threads relating to all things canid. If you would like to join the Doggie Ping Pack (or be unleashed from it), FReemail me.

[Berlin_Freeper]

What you don't want to do is play bite your dog. I did that once and the freakin thing bit my forehead.

[faithhopecharity]

well. the nice big Woof in the picture doesn’t look particularly upset being hugged

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

My dog hates it, but that’s because I’m always biting and pinching my dog, because she’s so cute.

[Jonty30]

Dogs like pats along the torso best. It’s like a friendly nip that other dogs do.

Hugging a dog is dominating it, from its perspective.

[left that other site]

And yet...

A very popular product that helps ease a dog’s anxiety during fireworks or thunderstorms actually simulates a hug by applying compression around the dog’s body.

So...go figure!

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

What you don't want to do is play bite your dog. I did that once and the freakin thing bit my forehead.

I bite my dog all the time. Coincidentally, I have scars all over my hands from all the times she's bitten me back. Usually I'm too fast for her though.

[Malsua]

Bah, My dog hugs me. And no, it wasn't staged, wife just took a picture one night.

[Popman]

What a bunch of nonsense...

My dog basically considers me her personal pillow when I get home...

If I don’t pet and hug her, she will pester me to no end...until I do...

[MileHi]

Yeah, my blackdog (lab) don’t really like being loved up. A treat and a pat on the head is good.

[chris37]

I tend to agree, but I’d say it’s different from dog to dog.

My German Shepherd likes hugs when she is in her submissive posture, and she hates them when she is ready to play. Now she won’t get angry if I try to hug her when she wants to play, but she will run away from the hug, go grab one of her toys and bring it to me to let me know.

She will let me hug her as much as I want when she knows I am leaving.

You just have to know your dog and their body language.

[Paladin2]

That’s NOT a hug, it’s a dog pile.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Our Beagle Buddy was a hug guy as well as our Chihuahua Coco.

[Blue Jays]

That is what I do, too. Or scratch them on their hips.
Some dogs headbutt into me so I scratch behind their ears.
Most dogs seem to like that. I agree they tend to feel distressed with a "bear hug" embrace.