Science Says Dogs HATE Being Hugged

A recent article in Psychology Today tells us that our dogs do not like hugs as much as we do!

While you might love embracing your fellow canines, it turns out dogs are "cursorial animals." In laymen's terms, it means dogs are designed for "swift running. That implies that in times of stress or threat the first line of defense that a dog uses is not his teeth, but rather his ability to run away."

By hugging your dog, you're essentially taking away their main defense mechanism and significantly raising their stress levels. It could even raise levels high enough to cause the dog to bite whoever is doing the hugging.

So, go ahead and pet your pups but for the love of Beethoven, don't hug them.