Posted on 04/26/2016 4:26:19 PM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Our Cavaliers will squirm to get out of a hug when we try. The Golden initiates hugs by trying to get my arm around him and pressing against me. He doesn’t squirm or struggle to get away, he squirms to get close.
A lot of dogs don’t like to feel immobilized, but nearly all dogs crave affection in any form and so will put up with it, for at least a little while.
So, why is it that when I am working on the lawnmower motor or anything on the ground, my dog runs up and sticks her head under my arm! Obviously she wants a hug. Every big dog I have ever had has done this!
And when two dogs are there I have a dog under each arm!
What most people fail to understand is that dogs are not humans. No matter how cute they are...they are not humans, human babies, human children and so on. Doesn’t matter how much perfume you spray on them how many cute sweaters you put on them they are not humans. They think you are a dog.
My Yorkies insist on hugs. They wrap their arms around my neck or shoulder. Maybe more of a small dog thing, although I had an 85 pound Airedale who gave me big hugs when I returned from traveling.
There are plenty of videos of big dogs hugging veterans returning home after being deployed for long periods. Heartwarming stuff.
My routine at night is to give my GSDs a BIG hug. The mix GSD does not like it but My Big Boy loves his good nite hug.
My Maine Coon is a REAL hugger. She would love if I carried her around all day in a baby smuggler. She craves any and all body contact. Zizu (my new kitten) loves to be petted and cuddled in the crook of my arm.
My dog likes hugs or anything you would do to him. But he’s a Lab so what do you expect?
“They think you are a dog.”
Which is high praise indeed.
OMW! Too adorable!
I'm good with that. Many dogs in the US live a VERY good life....
That’s why you never let your pets watch slasher movies.
Most of us did.
Wish someone had paid me a bundle to ‘research’ this.
:\
Gotta disagree, of the 4 four we own now 3 love hugs all the time and the oldest does when she wants to
Oh! I want one! Reminds me so much of one of my past dogs.
Absolutely correct. Also, my dog knows Mom hates face licks (I know where that tongue was a minute ago), so he leans in, then puts his big head in my hand and allows all of its weight to be supported by me. It’s an act of trust. Then, he licks my hand (which I can wash).
Dad, on the other hand, is at least half dog and loves face washes. Our boy lets either of us grab him and hug. His eyes are half closed, his ears are either up or in airplane mode, he grins and lets his tongue flop while the tail does loop-de-loops.
We’re a pack. We use body contact to bond. With us, he does not interpret a hug as aggression, but he isn’t as forgiving of strangers and we inform visitors of this.
Tommy Smothers when he was young?
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