Is hugging your dog really that bad? Find out for yourself.
Writing for Psychology Today, dog behaviour expert and psychology professor Stanley Coren said there are some telltale signs hugs are actually stressing out your canine pals.
They include:
Turning their heads away to break eye contact.
Low, flat ears.
Small “stress yawns.”
The whites of their eyes showing.
Lip licking.To prove his observations, Coren evaluated 250 images of dogs being hugged sourced through searches on Google and Flickr.
BUT DO NOT LOSE ALL HOPE. Maybe some dogs don’t like some hugs from some people in some photos. But maybe your dog isn’t one of those dogs.
His take is pretty simple: get to know your dog and its behaviour. If they respond to hugs happily, keep it up. If not, give them some space.
In short: everything in moderation. Even puppy love.
It is pretty frustrating for anyone with pets to find out this information. However, all dogs are different and it's important that you understand your pooch. Some dogs like affection while others don't.
For more information on why dogs don't like being hugged, visit BuzzFeed.
