[husartrof]

I could see an individual dog with unaddressed issues taking it as a threat but I've always hugged my dogs. Also, you don't hug a strange dog because you don't know how the dog will react to you. But as a general rule, I'd say it's okay to hug your own dog and dogs you spend a lot of time with, provided said dog isn't showing signs of being uncomfortable with the extra attention/pressure.

Mostly this- and someone else mentioned above that it's inappropriate behavior yes that's true also, it's a disrespectful greeting in a dogs eyes- but, if we condition our dogs to this and the dog accepts this and lots enjoy this from members of there family then hug away- I definitely wouldn't go hugging a newly adopted or strange dog!

Someone also wrote we are suppose to dominate our dogs??? Yes show who is in charge but there is no need to use a physical hug for this if the dog is uncomfortable! All IMO

[rionetrozasa]

Our old dog, the mutt, tolerated being hugged but did not necessarily like it from anyone.

Otis is a bit more into the hugging - he will stand up on the couch for 'hugs'. If we've just exercised or trained together, he craves physical contact and is happy to let me hug him and will lean into it. When he's just being normal, he'll tolerate it but in the two situations mentioned, I think he actually enjoys it. On another note we once had someone saying hi to him in a pet store who randomly hugged him without asking (I would have definitely said no). He tolerated it and I was pleased at that response.

Abby tolerates it.

[JOR4qxYH]

My dog could careless, I lay on the ground grab her and will do rolls with her

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[redDoodia]

Who ever said you shouldn't hug your dog needs to be dick slapped.

[MgpojuWy]

Carter totally enjoys any and all physical contact. He leans into it or gets in a position where you kind of have to hug him. Sometimes he creeps onto the couch and kind of hangs out so you have to hold him or he'll fall off. He's a sneaky little fucker.

Bentley doesn't enjoy it. He tolerates it. He found out early in our relationship that I enjoy hugging so he deals. I've NEVER gotten an aggressive action or behavior/signal from him during any of our hugs. Usually I don't hold him with 2 arms. It ends up being me resting my head against the side of his neck and stroking his ear/back of neck with the opposite hand.

[lapyignipinge]

Many dogs will put up with it, but they really don't LIKE it. They understand OUR language better than we understand theirs. They enjoy being with us and the interaction and will put up with hugging in a joyful way, but it's not something they are elated at having done to them.

Look at the expression on the dogs' faces while they are being hugged by their owners in "The Other End of the Leash" by McConnell.

Carla

I get what you are saying Carla (and I have read TOEOTL - excellent book); but I think that some dogs, because they understand our language...do come to appreciate hugging.

I say this because my dog initiates it; and if she didn't like it, I would think she would stop asking for it.

What she will do is come up to us and push her head very hard into our knees; she does this on her own initiative when she is wanting attention. She knows through repeated behavior of every member of the household; that this action on her part, will cause the human to bend down and then some version of hugging and kissing will take place. If you try to back away before she has had enough, she will follow you and press more into you all wiggly butted. Sometimes we have to tell her enough, because she will catch you in the middle of a chore and while we take time out for lovin' when she asks, you can't always hug and kiss all day !

I think it has to do with learned behavior and relationship; that most dogs generally do come to appreciate some version of hugging from the people they feel attached to and safe with.

I wouldn't hug a strange dog; and I probably wouldn't hug a dog that wasn't my dog. And I think children hugging dogs is usually always a bad idea because they aren't cognizant of things like "is it still mutual, is the dog comfortable, am I hugging with the right amount of pressure/body contact, am I attentive to when the hugee has had enough, etc."

I think it is like the eye contact issue...give a strange dog direct eye contact and it most certainly will be interpreted as a threat; give your own dog (that has a history of warm, loving, trained eye contact with you) direct eye contact and it is not a threat, in fact it can be comforting to the dog - for example when you ask for focus on you and avoidance of something negative/scary/upsetting in the environment.

[AngelinaLip]

I hug my dogs. Some dogs like it more than others, but I feel any dog I own should tolerate it. Some dogs hug back. I've had multiple dogs that loved being hugged and would wrap their paws around you back, especially big male Greyhounds (except the one I have now!).

Jack my Boston is completely comfortable with being hugged or held like a baby by anybody. He will go completely limp and fall a sleep cradled in your arms.

Casper loves hugs too especially from kids and he comes up to me for hugs when I'm sitting in the recliner. Neva my foster Dogo was a big time hugger and loved getting hugged back.



Ronon doesn't care for being hugged, he really doesn't want anyone but me touching him at all and only wants me touching him when he wants it! But he tolerates me messing with him all the time. I think I mess with him the most b/c it annoys him!

[priceyicey]

Does anyone think this is acceptable behavior as a result of being hugged? if it was my dog i would have put it down.

my friend just was bit in the face to the tune of 21 stitches from his ShH2 rotti. A dog he has raised from a pup. He simply bent down and hugged his 2 1/2 yr old male. He also places the blame on himself and feels he provoked it. The dog could have ripped his face off, while 21 stitches sounds bad (and is) the dog warned him and moved on. This is not a crazy dog, not a dog that needs to be put down. This is a well bred, well trained dog and anyone can debate this all they want, I'm with Gretchen. Do not be rude and hug your dog. There are a million other ways to show affection.

[viagra-kaufen]

I agree with knowing your own dog. As far as strange dogs, it's not really "Dominance" blah blah, it's just threatening in general, dogs are so tolerant of us humans xD I have no issue with emphasizing "no hugging" with the younger crowd to prevent bites, as that's where the majority of dog bites take place.

[HartOvara]

Hades thoroughly enjoys a good hugging, the kind where you hold their head tight to your chest and sway their body side to side. As Jazzy said with V, Hades initiates this, he seeks it out, and it would take someone blind to not see that the dog loves it.

Is it conditioned? Most likely, but that doesn't make conditioned enjoyment any less real that actual real enjoyment. Is it "real" enjoyment when a dog gets excited at the jingle of its prong collar? Nope, neither is the enjoyment for dogs that actually really do enjoy hugging.

Hugs are no different than any other "unnatural" behaviour that we condition our dogs to enjoy, usually (always exceptions), a dog that doesn't enjoy hugging either, a) has an owner that has no interest in hugging them, nothing wrong with this or b) has no usable conception of how to appropriately condition responses.

If you don't want your dog to be conditioned to hugging, that's fine.

But if you *can't* condition your dog to enjoy conditioning, as a trainer/owner/handler, your skills are lacking.

Same concept can be applied to a number of behaviours that involve conditioning. Doesn't mean that you have to do it with your dog, but if you can't, that's where the problem would therein lie.

Roxy could and may have done some serious damage to a stranger that hugged her, possibly serious disfigurement. No, I would not put her down for it. If she bit me, I still also wouldn't put her down, because it would have been my fault for lack of training, lack of desensitization and I missed signals of hers.

It's not acceptable by any means, but IMHO, when things like this happen, it's usually handler/owner error, as with many issues like this. PTS sure for the safety of people around it, but for anyone reading who hasn't experienced this yet, avoid this and prevent it by training, increasing thresholds and knowing your dog.

[Johnny]

Peanut forces hugs and kisses. he has been known to hold people down for kisses especially but he will lay on you and hug you. he will also hug like a person with an arm on each side of you (a lot of times of time around your neck).

[Butiqueso]

Does anyone think this is acceptable behavior as a result of being hugged? if it was my dog i would have put it down.

Honestly what I wonder is how you can have a dog for 2 1/2 years and work an intensive training program with it...and not have an inkling that the dog has major issues with being leaned over/crowded etc.

I suppose it could be well bred and well trained and still possess some major quirks...but if you're dog savvy enough to train a dog that well...shouldn't you have seen it coming?

[Super-Luser]

All dogs are individuals, as well as all circumstances. Perhaps nurture vs nature has something to do with it too.

I got Mason at 7 1/2 weeks of age. He has been throughly handled and doesn't mind any of it. When getting hugs and scratches, Mason will lean into me, giving himself completely.

Now Rowdy (r.i.p.) was a dog I didn't get until he was 5-6 months old. Trust with Rowdy came in small steps and we were still going through that bonding phase when I lost him to cancer at just under 5 years old. Rowdy would grumble and rumble vocally whenever his personal space was compromised. He never ever even so much as air snapped but I never pushed the issue either. Ours was a Very strong bond ... but with boundaries I guess you could say. It was only getting better as time went on and sadly, the best was yet to come.

Two different dogs from two different circumstances and environments that I've owned. Not to mention that Mason is from a carefully stewarded bloodline and stable line-bred dogs going back over 110 years (Colby) ... while Rowdy was from a BYB and of unknown origin and pedigree. Basically the result of two dogs thrown together in a breed for greed mating.

[gopsbousperie]

I have some dogs who love hugs and face to face contact and some that don't love it but let me do it anyway.
But never hug a strange dog, like one you just meet. And teach ALL kids that too!

I'm personally not a human huger. Any stranger that hugs me might be in for a face bite.

[kictainiSot]

Mine not only don't mind it, but lick me in the face when I do it Cull the turds that bite!!

[Sdinozes]

you shouldnt run up and hug STRANGE dogs, and if your own dog is uncomfortable with it then no i dont think you should hug your dog, many dogs DO enjoy hugs, Cesar adores them! Sadie likes them from me but no one else, it makes her feel uncomfortable becuase shes a very nervous dog (work in progress)

Cesar loves hugs from everyone and anone he was 3 lil kids all hugging him at once whom he had never met before and he loved it one squeezed his head, one squeezed his chest and one squeezed his backend he loved it

[Alkassyinhisk]

^^ My guy loves this. He initiates this position with both me and my husband. And he always looks sad in pictures lol. This is after years of petting, stroking, and massaging. When I first got Henry he was not comfortable with many different kinds of handling. But it's something that we've worked on (and continue working on). I'm happy to say he really seems to enjoy being held and loved on in other physical ways. I've also gotten him comfortable with being picked up by both myself and my husband, and we're working on Henry letting my husband dremel his nails. He lets me do it, but won't hold still for Roy.

I don't think hugging strange dogs is appropriate, and I've known many dogs uncomfortable with certain kinds of handling. I say just use your best judgement.

[Logaleta]

My dogs all tolerate hugs very well, but Marsha LOVES hugs. She will give hugs too, she lays her head on your shoulder and just cuddles close, with her body curled into your chest and her legs on each side of your neck. She really is the best cuddler.

[Keendwainge]

Mine are all fine with hugs, my oldest girl probably dislikes them the most, the other two love any sort of attention/handling but it's also something we do a LOT and they understand it is affection. A dog that isn't used to being handled, getting squeezed by a stranger might not react so well, some dogs like their space, startle easy, etc. Not everyone gets so touchy feeling with their dogs or bothers getting them used to that type of stuff, I do a ton of grabbing and smooshing.

[fajerdoksdsaaker]

The Schutzhund rottie I knew was a beautiful German bitch, and hard as nails. She would have definitely bitten a person wqho hugged her. Her owner would have never hugged her, she understood and respected her, and knew a hug would never be welcome. Give me a pit bull any day.