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!
Sister Seized Family’s Entire Inheritance and Only Left a Tattered Blanket for Brother with Disability – Story of the Day
Edward was devastated when his sister, Sarah, called him and told him their grandmother died. He never imagined she would also plan on taking almost everything, leaving him only an old blanket…
“Grandma Sandy is dead. Are you coming to the funeral?” Sarah said coldly through the phone.
“Sarah, how can you speak so callously? Of course, I’m coming to the funeral,” Edward told his big sister. She probably asked because it was hard for Edward to move around with his disability. He was in a car accident several years ago and lost both legs.
Edward grabbed an old blanket from his grandmother’s house. | Source: Shutterstock
Since then, his family lived on his wife’s paycheck, which was not much. Gianna worked hard, but she also had to help him and mostly raise their two kids. Edward had not been able to find a proper job, but he was currently waiting for a work-from-home offer.
Sarah’s news was devastating. He loved his grandmother dearly, and unlike everyone else in the family, she tried her best to help his family after the accident. She didn’t have a lot of money but babysat the kids often.
“Well, whatever. She was old already. Anyway, I’m calling to tell you to get here fast, or I’m taking almost everything,” Sarah added.
“What do you mean? Get where?” Edward asked, confused.
Sarah was sorting and taking everything valuable. | Source: Pexels
“Her house. I’m here sorting through stuff, and I’m taking most of it now. Maybe I can get something out of it,” Sarah explained.
“You can’t do that!” Edward yelled through the phone.
“Yes, I can. She left no will, and we were her only direct relatives. Also, I’m keeping the house because you already have one. I’m being nice and telling you to come here if you want anything before I sell them,” Sarah finished and hung up.
Gianna drove Edward to his grandmother’s house, but when he got there, Sarah didn’t let him take anything. “No, I called dibs on that already,” she said when he grabbed a random vase. It didn’t matter. Owning these things would not soothe the pain of losing their grandmother.
Edward took interest in his grandmother’s old blanket instead. | Source: Pexels
“How about this?” Edward asked, grabbing an old blanket with a beautiful pattern. He remembered when he and his neighborhood friends would use it to build a fort with his grandmother’s dining room chairs.
“Oh, that old thing? Sure,” Sarah said dismissively. Edward took it and told his wife it was time to leave. He didn’t want to spend one more minute in that house, watching his sister callously sort through their grandmother’s things for her personal gain.
“I can’t believe Sarah’s attitude,” Gianna said on the car ride home.
“I know. She was never the warmest person, but this is just…disgusting. If our parents were here, they would be so disappointed,” Edward added. But they let the subject go and continued with their lives. He finally landed a job that allowed him to work from home.
Their Native American friend, Chenoa, thought the blanket could be special. | Source: Unsplash
Everything was looking up for their family after all these years of worry. Gianna also decided to hang the blanket in their room because the intricate woven pattern was beautiful. “I’m going to save up some money, and we can frame it,” she said.
He loved his wife because she could appreciate the little things like that. One day, her friend, Chenoa, visited them, and Gianna showed her the blanket. “OMG, that actually looks Navajo!” her friend said.
“You think so? I think Edward’s grandmother had it for ages. She might not have known,” Gianna added. But Chenoa was Native American. She would definitely know.
“That’s definitely a Navajo blanket, and it looks old but well-preserved. Can I take a picture? There’s a man on the reservation who can identify Navajo anywhere. I’ll text him,” Chenoa explained.
They auctioned it off for a huge amount. | Source: Unsplash
A few minutes later, the man replied and confirmed that the blanket was, in fact, authentic and appeared to be antique. Edward and Gianna invited the man over, and he explained that it could be a blanket from the 1800s.
“This is serious. You two might have stumbled upon a precious antique,” the Navajo expert told them.
So they took the blanket to an antiquarian who confirmed this too. “This could be worth between $200,000 and $500,000…maybe more,” he explained.
Upon learning this, Edward and Gianna decided to place the blanket for auction despite its big sentimental value. The fact is, life is unpredictable, and they needed the money so their kids would be safe. But they didn’t expect how the auction would turn out.
“Sold! For 1.5 million dollars!” the auctioneer yelled. Edward and Gianna looked at each other, dumbfounded. They were now millionaires.
Sarah demanded money and was arrested for trespassing. | Source: Unsplash
Their big win reached the local newspaper which wrote a story about it, and Edward’s entire family, including Sarah, found out. “I demand half that money, Edward! Or I will sue you!” Sarah screamed at him.
“You kept everything for yourself, Sarah. You don’t have a case. This is our money. Goodbye,” Edward said.
Edward was right. Sarah didn’t have a case, so she started harassing them for the money. This urged Edward to have her arrested for trying to break into their home. He also filed a restraining order against Sarah and got her to stop harassing them.
In the end, Edward’s family thrived, thanks to that money. The kids had college funds, and he started his own business.
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