For humans, a hug is nurturing and builds trust and a sense of safety. But your dog may not feel the same way. Leaning against or reaching around dogs can feel threatening to them, says Prof. Lee Niel, Col. K. L. Campbell Chair in Companion Animal Welfare at U of G\u2019s Ontario Veterinary College. \u201cWhat may be enjoyable for you may cause your pet stress,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Hugs aren\u2019t necessarily off limits. The key is respecting your dog\u2019s boundaries and personal space. Niel says each dog is different in terms of what they like and don\u2019t like, so it\u2019s important to watch your dog\u2019s behaviour for clues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they are showing signs of fear \u2014 things like lowered ears, lowered body posture and trying to pull away \u2014 those are obvious signs they are not enjoying a particular type of inter- action,\u201d says Niel. \u201cBut if they are leaning in and soliciting more attention, you know you are on the right track as to the kind of things they enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The type and amount of affection a dog enjoys isn\u2019t about the dog\u2019s breed. Niel says it\u2019s about previous experien- ces and the individual personality of<\/p>\n
the dog. This shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise \u2014 it\u2019s true of people, too. \u201cThe way we all interact with the world is based on our previous experiences of what is safe and what isn\u2019t,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
And just like us, if your dog is focused on an activity such as eating dinner or feels anxious for some reason, it might not be the best time to solicit affection from them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen your dog is stressed and focused on dealing with that stress, they might not want to be cuddled and touched because that might be distracting to them,\u201d says Niel.<\/p>\n
This is also true if they are sleeping. Like you, your dog may not want to be woken up for a hug.<\/p>\n
Niel says the best approach for a happy dog is to make yourself avail- able and let them come to you.<\/p>\n
Dogs can also adjust to our behav- iour. \u201cYou probably already know some ways your pet likes to interact with you,\u201d says Niel. For example, most dogs like to be scratched on the shoulders.<\/p>\n
Get to know what your dog likes and you will enjoy a trusting relation- ship with all the benefits of the human-animal bond. \u2013 KAREN MANTEL<\/p>\n
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For humans, a hug is nurturing and builds trust and a sense of safety. But your dog may not feel the same way. Leaning against or reaching around dogs can feel threatening to them, says Prof. Lee Niel, Col. K. L. Campbell Chair in Companion Animal Welfare at U of G\u2019s Ontario Veterinary College. \u201cWhat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":null,"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":null},"categories":[13],"tags":[53,269,270,141],"yoast_head":"\n