7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Hug Untrained Dog

When you receive a dog hug, and you notice your pooch is trying to lick his lips, pulling away, yarning, looking away from you, or avoiding eye contact, it means he doesn’t like receiving hugs.

Here Are Seven Reasons You Shouldn’t Receive Dog Hug Untrained Pooch

1. Your Dog Doesn’t Understand What is Happening

You have been taught from a young age that hugs are a way of showing affection, which is why you like giving and receiving them.

Imagine no one showed you the meaning of hugs, then how could you perceive them? Like someone who wants to strangle you or someone who is attacking you, right? That is what canines interprets dog hug!

2. It’s Awkward Being Hugged by Strangers 

Of course, Dogs love receiving affection from people they know and love. However, how could you feel if a stranger came from nowhere and hugged you?

It can feel threatening, and the same applies to dogs. Let the canine get to know you first before trying to get dog hug!

3. Tolerating Affection is a Leant Behavior 

 According to experts, dogs who love hugs get trained to view them as an affection sign from an early age.

However, those who have never been taught about hugs tend to protect themselves just as their instinct dictates.

4. Their Body Indicates Discomfort

When you search online for images of humans hugging dogs, most images you will encounter are of dogs with dropped ears and pooch turning away from their owners. These are all signs of dogs in discomfort!

5. Dogs Hate Being Confined 

Dogs show discomfort since they hate immobilization; just let your dog have space to move.

Dogs first defense mechanism is to run away from danger, which can happen when there is limited mobility during hugs.

6. Dogs Are Weary of New Environment 

If a dog is familiar and comfortable with your house, it is less likely to show signs of stress during hugs. But when in public, your dog is overloaded with everything going around, which heightens the state of stress.

Always be aware of your environment with your dog before giving him a dog hug to avoid stressing him out.

7. Use Other Methods to Show Your Love

Dogs love rubs galore, receiving toys, going on walks, running, and playing, none of which makes them lose mobility.

Show your dog you love him by dedicating time to hanging out with him or tossing him a treat and Frisbee.

How to Know When Dog Is Uncomfortable with Dog Hugs

How do you know if your dog is genuinely enjoying your hugs? Sometimes dogs don’t even show signs of discomfort or stress when they don’t like hugs, and only by understanding their body language will you know if your dog enjoys your hugs.

Some stress signs are easy to spot, such as baring of the teeth or growing, while others are more subtle and only visible when you pay attention.

The list below will help you point out when your dog is uncomfortable:

1. Stiffness – If your dog becomes still or stiffens when you hug him, then he is not enjoying the embrace. A happy dog will loosen and relax!
2. Turning the Head Away – When dogs are stressed, they avoid eye contact, so if your dog turn away or shut his eyes during hugging, then you should stop.
3. Whale or Half-Moon Eyes – If the white part of your dog’s eye is visible, it means he is uncomfortable!
4. Lowered Ears – If your dog lays their ears against the side of its head or drops them when you embrace him, then it means he is stressed out.
5. Tail Tucked – Unhappy dogs lower their tail or tuck it under the belly!
6. Yarns – Dogs don’t yarn when hungry or exhausted but when stressed, so stop embracing your dog if he keeps on yarning whenever you hug him.
7. Nose Licks – When your dog gives a quick tongue flick whenever you try to hug him, it indicates stress, and you should slow down on embrace.
8. Paw Raised – When a dog is uncertain about something, he usually raises one paw off the ground. So, if your dog raises its paw when you try to hug him, it means it is unknown territory for him.

Samples Of Pooches That Doesn’t Like Dog Hugs

An Argentina Teenage Girl  

An Argentina girl’s photoshoot goes wrong when she gets bitten by her friend’s dog as she tries to hug him for a photo shoot. The incidents left Lara Sanson with 40 stitches on the face as she was bitten while posing with Kenai, her pal’s German Shephard.

The dog bit the girl because she hugged it, which scared Kenai, and the reaction was just a self-defense mechanism.

Lara shared images online capturing the stitched face to show how some photoshoots go wrong.

One of the users commented on the photo that it is not advisable to bring your face near dog’s neck as it is its most vulnerable part, and its instincts tell him you will attack him.

How To Know Your Furry Friend Like Dog Hugs

Some dogs like receiving hugs from people they love, but how can you tell if your dog loves your embrace? Below is a list that can help you know when your dog loves giving dog hugs:

1. Panting – If your dog pant calmly with its mouth and tongue looking rather slack while you are hugging him, then it means he loves giving dog hugs.
2. Lick Your Face – Have your dog ever leaned to you and given a lick to your face while you are embracing him? Then he is showing you that he loves your hugs!
3.  Whole-Body Tail Wagging – When a dog is thrilled, it wags the tail with its entire back end, like when greeting you after coming back home. If your dog wags its tail in a loose, relaxed way when receiving a hug, then it enjoys the dog hugs!
4. Putting a Paw on You – Does your dog place its paw on your lap or over your arm when you hug him? Then he is telling you he like the attention and wants more dog hugs!

Samples Of a Dog That Like Receiving Dog Hugs

Louboutina NYC Hugging Dog

Cesar Fernandez-Chavez can’t afford to take his dog Louboutina (Loubie) for long walks since his pooch keeps stopping to give strangers hugs.

Cesar says he never taught Loubie to hug people; she learned on her own; the behavior started in 2014 around Valentine after Fernandez ended his longtime relationship. She wanted to hold his hand, maybe as a way to comfort him!

Loubie could sit up and cross her paw over the other, making her look like a lady! Then a couple of years later, she wanted to show her affection by hugging random people in the street.

However, even if Loubie is generous with dog hugs; she doesn’t hug everyone; she just hugs those she feels a bond with first. After she connects with someone, she sits up and hugs them!

Sometimes Cesar brings loubie to his workplace where she makes everyone happy at the hospital. She acts as a pet therapist to health providers, which can be very helpful in a healthcare setting due to stressful situations.

10 Reasons Why You Should Teach Pooch to Telerate Dog Hugs?

Yes, hugs are great for your dog. So, if your dog has reached a stage of ‘I love hugs’, then you should give him an embrace for the following benefits:

1. For Your Health 

A good old puppy hug will help you decrease stress and lower heart rate and blood pressure. Dog hugs will help kids with autism feel calm and connect intimately. It is also great for those with PTSD!

2. For Dog’s Health

A hug from their humans gives dogs a calming, stress-relieving outlet!

3. Help With Healing Process 

Study shows dog company and occasional hugs help people who have suffered heart attack heal faster.

4. Create a Better Bond

A good cuddle and occasional hug with your puppy will help you improve the bond between you two, which can make the training process a breeze.

5. Hug for Emotional Healing 

Dog human relationship has a psychological impact on those who are suffering emotionally, such as those with depression.

6. Hug for Better Sleep 

Do you have a sleeping disorder? Then try a dog hug before going to bed; cuddling at night has been helpful to those with a sleeping disorder.

7. Hug to Comfort Her

Dogs also suffer from needs, worries, fears, and anxieties just like humans, and a simple dog hug can be enough to remind them that everything will be okay.

8. Hug For a Better Life 

People with a dog have increased physical activities and social contacts compared to those who don’t.

A dog will make you go out more while taking him for walks and become more social as dog lovers will approach you.

9. Hug For the Sake of Training

Strangers, family members, and friends might try to embrace your dog, which could end badly if you have not introduced your dog to hugs.

Giving your dog hug from time to time will help them get used to embraces from humans, which can come in hard if someone tries to hug them.

10. Hug to Say Thanks 

Your dog loves you unconditionally and waits for you when you leave the house without knowing when you return.

Hug your dog occasionally just to say thanks for their unconditional love!

4 Steps to Teach Your Canine to Receive Dog Hug

You can change your dog’s hug negative associations with counterconditioning and desensitization. Here are simple steps that can help you when training your dog:

Step 1

Introduce your dog to touch using treats, toys, or any other reward.

Step 2

Increase the invasiveness while rewarding your dog until you can safely restrain him without feeling threatened.

Step 3

Continue increasing the firmness of your embrace while still rewarding your dog; your dog should determine the pace of the process.

Step 4

When the dog is comfortable with your hugs, you should introduce him to hugs from other people. You need to ensure the dog is relaxed around the person you are introducing hugs from; otherwise, it can end badly.

7 Best Breeds to Teach To Give Dog Hug

Are you looking for a dog appetite for hugs? Here are seven breeds that are ready to mirror your friendly and loving persona, who, with some training, will be yearning for your embrace.

1. Labrador Retrievers

Extremely friendly and fun to be around, this extrovert dog enjoys meeting new people and is welcoming to other pets and canines.

2. Great Dane

Great Dane is a gentle giant and its big body houses a big warm heart! They are pretty friendly to strangers whom they encounter in their day-to-day life.

Being the 4th most intelligent dog makes it easy to train to tolerate hugs!

3. Golden Retriever 

Golden Retriever is an amiable dog who loves to snuggle, cuddle and hug those they love or anyone who needs a friendly companion.

They are a people pleaser, and nothing makes them happier than making those they love happy!

4. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 

These toy-sized dogs are sweet, gentle, and affectionate breed that will give you tremendous love. This was a favorite breed for King Charles, so he named it after himself, and it was bred to keep royalties’ company.

Cavaliers are friendly with strangers, children, cats, and dogs. They are intelligent and are easy to train!

5. Beagle 

Small, compact, and hardy, Beagles are active companions for kids and adults alike. Don’t be surprised if they try to hop to your bed for a morning hug!

6. English Bulldog 

This dog loves to lay on its human until it falls asleep, making it the perfect breed to train for hugs. English Bulldog is comfortable around strangers and is a docile breed around kids!

7. Chihuahua 

Chihuahua is a tiny dog with giant characteristics, and they love nothing more than going everywhere with their human.

They are eager to please and intelligent, an excellent combination for learning to give dog hugs!