My Djinni likes hugs and presses into me for them but smaller Gypsy, bless her heart, suffers my ‘baby cuddling’ fits patiently but with little joy.
Odin does not like hugs at all, from me or anybody else.
He will tolerate me hanging over his shoulders for legitimate reasons such as nail clipping or examinations but would, I believe, bite anyone else who tried.
I do not feel “slighted” or “unloved” because he doesn't like to be hugged.
He is a dog and it is his space.
I know better than to violate it and respect him too much to force it upon him, just as he has learned that I don't like the typical ‘mouth licking’ that dogs do to their owners.
I'm not likely to heave up a partially digested antelope for him so he's lowered his canid pack behavior expectations.
;]
[and yes, dog owners, when Fido or Fifi licks your mouth, that is -exactly- what they're doing...they're trying to elicit a maternal regurgitation response from you...aren't you happy?]...LOL
“as a dog returns to his (or your) vomit” Can’t remember the rest of this right now. LOL!