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Most humans recognise a hug as a sign of affection and close friendship. That is exactly why we feel this strong urge to hug dogs out of love. After all, they are the best type of best friends. As pet parents, we love greeting our pawsome pals with dog hugs. However, do dogs like hugs? In an IAMS™ survey*, 83% of dog parents say their dog likes hugs too. Is this true? We’re going to try and get an answer to this question.
The short answer is no. Dogs do not like hugs. Now, let’s look at a bit of an explanation to this.
Some dogs enjoy canine cuddles, but usually only with their owner or household members. Otherwise, they don’t care about it. “Hugging is too much and overwhelming for many dogs and should be discouraged if the dog doesn’t know the individual very well”, advises James Serpell, B.Sc., Ph.D., Professor of Humane Ethics & Animal Welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
So, why don’t dogs like hugs? To understand this, we may need to look at what a dog really feels when you try to hug it.
Here is what your pooch probably experiences when you try to engulf it in an embrace:
Hugging is human behaviour and not dog behaviour. These animals are just not physically built for that kind of interaction. We stand upright, so we face people. Dogs are on all fours, making hugging an unnatural act for them. Hence, they prefer a friendly sniff.
To dogs, a hug comes off as dominating behaviour; it feels like someone is trying to assert control over them. It can be stressful, especially if done by a stranger.
Since ancient times, a canine’s first instinctive defense has been to run away from danger. And hugging makes them feel trapped and confined. As humans, we too feel awkward when a person we barely know gives us a long and tight hug, right? Dogs somewhat feel the same. To some extent, they would also want to escape.
Sniffing is a dog’s way of expressing love. However, we humans definitely don’t regard sniffing the same way. And no matter how much we love our canine companion, we do feel a little uncomfortable with this gesture. Similarly, your pet might find hugs discomforting. Don’t worry. A dog’s body language will give you all the signs you need to know about their comfort level. But in order to understand these signs, you must learn to read them. So, let us understand some signs that indicate your dog is uneasy.
Dogs try to avoid anything that stresses them out. So, if your dog looks away when you enfold them in your arms, they don't like hugs. Your furry friend might also open their eyes wide while looking away and this allows you to notice their whale eyes. Whale eyes are when you see the whites of a dog’s eyes. Now, that is another indication of stress and discomfort.
Dogs are generally flexible when relaxed. If your dog gets stiff when you wrap your hands around them, you should probably set them free. Your dog might also lower or tuck their tail under the belly out of stress. Moreover, you must also pay attention to your pet’s ears. Lowered ears are a sign of a stressed dog.
It’s no news that we yawn when exhausted. However, if your pooch yawns during dog hugs, they are getting stressed out. It is their way of conveying that they don’t like something.
Every dog is unique. While most of them feel uncomfortable with hugs, some might like being embraced. Here’s how you can confirm if your furball doesn’t feel suffocated when you hug them:
Tail wagging can mean several things. However, you know your dog is happy when they give you a full-body tail wag. Slow, relaxed wags mean that your dog feels composed and at ease.
Placing the paws on the hugger signifies that your dog welcomes this form of attention. A dog’s paws can do more than just walk and dig holes. It is one of the most effective modes of communication for them.
Don’t worry if your dog doesn’t want to hug it out. There are plenty of healthier ways you can show them you are still their best friend:
If you're looking for the perfect dog for you, try our Dog Breed Selector today and enjoy a lifetime of tail-wagging joy.
Dogs do not generally recognise a hug as an affectionate gesture. However, they learn to accept hugs from their owner.
Your dog might not look at hugs the way humans do. For most dogs, hugs are discomforting.
Yes. Dogs like cuddling because they love you. If your dog cuddles you, you are a part of their pack.
If you’ve got a big love for big dogs, IAMS™ has a large-breed puppy formula specially made for their nutritional needs.
Many large-breed puppies have a tendency to grow very quickly. Unfortunately, if this tendency is encouraged by overfeeding, developmental bone problems can occur. To avoid these problems, careful feeding management is necessary. This should include
Our specially formulated large-breed puppy formulas make feeding management easier because they are designed for fast-growing, large-breed puppies (those with an expected adult weight of more than 50 pounds).
A protein level approximating 26% in these formulas promotes healthy body condition and balances the protein with the reduced number of calories in the food. Research has shown that
The protein in our large-breed puppy formulas supports normal skeletal and muscular growth.
Fat contributes more than twice as many calories in a diet as proteins or carbohydrates do. As the fat level increases, the energy content of the diet also increases, making feeding management more difficult for large-breed puppies. Several studies have shown increases in developmental bone problems when a diet was overfed.2, 3
By reducing the fat content of large-breed puppy formulas to about 14%, the metabolizable energy (ME) of the diets can be kept to a low level of about 1,800 kilocalories per pound.
Fat contributes more than twice as many calories in a diet as proteins or carbohydrates
Our large-breed puppy formulas, such as IAMS ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Large Breed, are made specifically for growing puppies with expected adult weights of 50 pounds or more. These puppy foods are unique because they are formulated with:
Reduced calcium and phosphorus levels with a normal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio to promote proper bone development in rapidly growing large breed puppies.
1 Nap, et al. Growth and skeletal development in Great Dane pups fed different levels of protein intake. J Nutr 1991; 121:S107-S113.
2 Hedhammer, et al. Over nutrition and skeletal disease: an experimental study in growing Great Dane dogs. Cornell Vet 1974; 64:1-159.
3 Lavelle. The effect of overfeeding of a balanced complete commercial diet to a group of growing Great Danes. In: Nutrition of the dog and cat. Burger and Rivers (eds). Cambridge Univ Press, 1989:303-316.
4 Hazewinkel, et al. Influences of chronic calcium excess on the skeletal development of growing Great Danes, J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 1985; 21:377-391.
5 Goedegebuure, Hazewinkel. Morphological findings in young dogs chronically fed a diet containing excess calcium. Vet Pathol 1986; 23:594-605.
6 Hazewinkel, et al. Calcium metabolism in Great Dane dogs fed diets with various calcium and phosphorus levels. J Nutr 1991; 121:S99-S106.
