More specifically, according to Dr. Stanley Coren – a dog researcher at the University of British Columbia (Canada), although dogs love to be around people, their first instinctive reaction is to run away. Therefore, the act of hugging will make them more miserable and stressful.
To prove this, Dr. Coren observed 250 dogs being held by both adults and children, and identified signs of stress. And the results showed that 81.6% of them feel uncomfortable when being hugged.
A dog yawning or lifting one leg also indicates discomfort.
Usually when cornered, dogs will have a threatening reaction, even biting again. However, Coren says there are still other signs that the dog is feeling uncomfortable. For example, a dog’s eyes turned down, or turned his head to avoid looking into the human eye, are typical signs of stress. In addition, a dog yawning or lifting one leg may indicate that he is uncomfortable.
During the study, Dr. Coren observed pictures of dogs being held. Almost all, he found, had at least one of the signs of stress, irritability, or even fear.
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