Why dogs hate to be hugged
What we take for granted is stress for the animal
With hugs we express affection, warmth and love. But our dog feels the opposite: hugs scare him. For even if people are afraid of their bites: Dogs are living things that do not attack at danger, but run away. Therefore, it means stress for them when they are hugged and thus virtually fixed.
In extreme cases, the dog bites because he lacks the opportunity to run away. Therefore, especially children should be encouraged to avoid hugging dogs. The danger of being bitten in the face increases when cuddling and kissing? Not only does it have to do with the nearness of the face, psychologist Stanley Coren shows in Psychology Today. The reason is rather that the caress disturbs the animal.
Happy people - unhappy dogs
The emeritus psychology professor at the University of British Columbia has evaluated 250 private photos he has found on the Internet: photos of unhappy dogs being hugged by happy people. Looking at the images, the scientist found that more than four out of five dogs found the hug as stress-inducing.
How do you recognize a frightened dog?
To find out how your dog feels, you should pay attention to the following stress signals: Does he turn his head away, is he tense or does he lick his lips? Does he (partially) close his eyes or is the white around his pupils visible? Even licking a human's face can indicate nervousness, as well as yawning or lifting a paw. If a dog puts his ears or shows his teeth, he is exposed to the greatest stress.
Did you recognize these signs? Especially children have difficulty reading the signals of the dog correctly. Like many adults, they just assume that their dog is happy about the caress.
The tip of the expert
Stanley Coren's recommendation is: Do you pick up your hugs for the bipedal members of your family? they are happy about it. And show your love for the dog better with crawling, a friendly word or a treat.
