A vet has warned how a ‘hug’ can make a dog feel, and it’s not necessarily what you would expect
A vet has warned that it could be a bad idea to ‘hug’ your dog, as it could have the opposite effect on them to what us humans feel.
There’s nothing nicer than coming home from a long day at work to your furry friend scurrying as fast as they can to the door to greet you.
Your natural reaction is usually to bend down and give them a big cuddle, and whilst it might look like they’re loving every second – it might not be what they’re really feeling.
Dog experts are now warning owners to find different ways of showing their love.
According to a vet who spoke to Psychology Today, a hug can actually make a dog feel quite anxious and trapped – this is because a dog’s primary defence is to run away.
Psychologist Stanley Coren explained: “Yes, your dog may leap into your lap and kiss your face, cuddle against your neck, and beg you to rub her belly.
“But that’s not ‘hugging.’
“In my experience, many dogs don’t enjoy having a human move one or two arms around their shoulders and squeeze.
“That’s the hug we are talking about.”
Behaviour Vets author Lauren Novack believes dogs who do enjoy hugs are a complete ‘exception’, reports Daily Paws.
She said: “When dogs don’t like something and politely ask for space over and over again to no avail, they’re likely to escalate their communication to growling or biting.
“I don’t want dogs to be stressed, and I don’t want humans to get bitten. For most dogs, hugs are stressful.”
Stanley previously analysed 250 photos of dogs being given hugs, and he found that in 80% of the images, the dogs showed signs of looking stressed.
And he noted that this can be indicated by a dog lowers their ears, closing their eyes, or turning away from the source of anxiety.
And the psychologist has now revealed some much better alternatives.
He said: “The clear recommendation to come out of this research is to save your hugs for your two-footed family members and lovers.
“It is clearly better from the dog’s point of view if you express your fondness for your pet with a pat, a kind word, and maybe a treat.”
And the last thing we want to do is upset our furry babies, so we’re definitely going to take this advice on board!
Sean Hannity gives up, he announces huge personal news! Sean revealed that he is packing up his talents and…
Famed Fox News anchor Sean Hannity revealed that he is packing up his talents and moving to Florida. He is leaving his home in Long Island and will broadcast from the Sunshine State. After reIocating his family to Florida, Sean Hannity informed his iHeartRadio talk show audience that he was now broadcasting live from his new studio.
At the outset of his show on Tuesday, Hannity announced the “breaking news,” stating: If anybody is listening to this program for any length of time, been threatening now to do this for quite a whiIe.
But we are now beginning our first broadcast of my new home, and that is in the free state of Florida. I am out. I am done. I’m finished. “New York, New York. Goodbye. Florida. Florida. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. But it’s great to be here. And I will tell you, one of the things that I was toId either before, Linda, but feeling good tonight, by the way, and I’m that because she entertains everybody.
I bet she was entertaining every day working or not working. And no, she worked a number of days. But and she’s such a good entertainer and such a great host is that anyone would want her back as soon as we can. I was told even before this that it just it just the time was right. I was able to put the final exclamation points on what needed to be done. And here I am, Hannity said.
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