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!
Elon Musk Fires Entire Cast of “The View ” After Acquiring ABC
Musk’s acquisition of ABC leads to shock waves as entire cast of “The View” gets fired
In a move that has stunned the world of television, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has acquired ABC and promptly fired the entire cast of the long-running talk show, “The View.”
Sources close to Musk say that he was “fed up” with the show’s constant negativity and lack of innovation, and decided to take matters into his own hands.
I’ve been watching ‘The View’ for years and it just seems like the same tired arguments over and over again,” Musk said in a statement. “I’m tired of it and I’m tired of the lack of progress in the world of daytime talk shows.”
The firing of the cast, which includes Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and Meghan McCain, has been met with both shock and applause from fans and critics alike.
“I’m thrilled that Elon Musk is shaking things up,” said one fan. “It’s about time someone came in and breathed new life into the world of talk shows.”Your thoughts?
Leave a Reply