Do you Hug your Dog?

[ParNone]

I really never gave this much thought, until I saw it on another list and they were discussing about a hug, being interpreted by the dog as a dominant posture. I’ve always hugged Murph and Maddie. I love to pick them up, put my arms around them and kiss’em on the top of the head or rest my cheek against their face. Neither has ever protested this and Maddie actually gives me a kiss back on my nose. I notice though that Oz doesn’t much care for it. I can’t exactly pick him up, so I usually try to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him on the nose. He usually struggles. He much prefers to sit beside me as I scratch him, so maybe he is interpreting it as a dominance issue.

Holding their face in your hands, supposedly is interpreted as dominant too. Oz doesn't much care for that either, whereas M&M are perfectly fine with it. So I wonder if he's looking at all this affection I'm aiming at him, as me trying to dominant him? Is trying to hug him then any different than trying to pin him on the ground? Should I not try to force him to accept hugs or should I be working with him to accept them?

Anybody else have this issue?

Par...

[robinh]

Wow that's a good question - never thought of the dominance idea before. I hug my dogs too. Max loves it - he rubs face with me. Molly kind of struggles (she tends to be very alfa-ish and Carly just stands there. Maybe that's why!

Very good question! I'll be interested in the answers.

[lovemyshiba]

I'll be interested to hear the answers too, but I hug Kito and Abbey all the time. Kito I can pick up and hug, but I have to get down to hug Ab, and she hugs me right back, and gives lots of kisses!!

[slleipnir]

I never thought of it that way either. I hug my 2. Zeke loves it, Jo puts up with it she doesn't seem to mind unless she wants to do osmething else lol

[Brie]

yup, it's a sign of dominance. I'm reading a book by Patricia McConnell , PhD. is an animal behavorist and she just recently wrote a book called 'The Other End Of The Leash' and she does talk about why people hug dogs and why dogs see it as a sign of dominance. I really recommend this book, I think it's a must have for any dog owner.

[tikeyas_mom]

my siberian husky is to big to pick up and hug so I hug her around the neck all the time.

[K9karen]

I squish Cody's face all the time and smother him with kisses all over and he loves it! If he's laying with his head between his paws, I can lay right in front of him, eye to eye, nose to nose and he just licks me. Never ever thought of it as dominance, just abounding love and affection. (on both our parts)

[oodlesofpoodles]

I hug and Kiss all my poopers. Even the boarding dogs. And Riley will even dance with me.

[Dakota's Mommy]

I love giving my girls hugs and kisses. They know who's boss though! They've never challenged that with me or Brian. Yep, we're huggers and kissers to our girls, and our girls kiss us back!

[tikeyas_mom]

Dakota's Mommy I was wondering do you ever have any trouble with your female dal and dane fighting?

[primabella]

Mickey ALWAYS gets hugs

[Rachel]

Tucker loves to give and get hugs. He can't get enough. Hannah on the other hand even resents a pet on the head, unless she is tired. My tired girl will consent to just about anything.

[tikeyas_mom]

Tikeya LOVES giving kisses as well big wet ones right on the smakers. lol. SHe has always love kisses. Oscar isnt as lucky. lol He always has stuff stuck to his beared when he digs or eats or sniffs the ground. EVERYTHING gets stuck to his beard. so it is nasty to give him kisses lol

[Logan]

We all hug all three of them a lot!!!!

[Cincy'sMom]

We hugand kiss our dogs and they give hugd and kisses back. Cincy and Spot aren't quite has used to giving hugs back as Sadie is, but they all expect hugs from us willingly