Dogs ‘Hate It’ When Owners Do This One Expression of Love – Veterinary Behaviorist Reveals
It’s difficult to restrain yourself from barging in on your resting dog for a quick cuddle after a long day at work. After all, our furry companions too crave such attention, don't they? Well, it’s time to do away with such presumptions. A veterinary behaviorist recently enlightened pet lovers by debunking the notion that pet dogs predominantly love snuggling at any given time of day. It goes without saying that spending time with your pets followed by a heartwarming cuddle is essential to nurture a deep and loving bond with your pawed family members. But this show of love has an appropriate time and place, just like humans, per HuffPost.
Margaret M. Duxbury, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in Minneapolis, spoke on behalf of pets to express their agitation during such occasions. “They hate it! It’s not fair,” she said, adding, “If possible, let a sleeping dog lie.” According to her expert opinion, approaching pets, particularly dogs, when they are asleep will startle them and upset their mood. However, the reaction of each dog varies depending on their past life experiences, personality, or the activity they might doing when their personal space is intruded upon.
“If we can understand this reaction in human terms, why are we surprised when our dogs react the same way?” said Nicole Skeehan, a dog trainer and owner of Philly Unleashed. It is easy to expect how a person may react when someone else invades their personal space, worse when sleeping. Another veterinary behavior specialist, Valli Parthasarathy weighed in to explain the different hot and cold reactions of pet dogs. She suggested some dogs may growl or snap whereas others may silently retreat. Some dogs get so afraid that they might hide and shiver in a safer spot.
Skeehan noted, “These behaviors are how dogs communicate their need for space, yet many people struggle to accept or respect those signals.” Speaking of colder reactions, dogs used to such behaviors from owners continue doing their activity without hesitation or simply retort with a hard stare, said Parthasarathy, who is the co-founder of Synergy Veterinary Behavior in Portland, Oregon. Moreover, the reactions vary irrespective of dog breed but depending upon their comfort and their living environment.
Most pets are usually unforgiving to strangers when disturbed but may leave their owners alone because of mutual trust. “A dog with arthritis in the hips may be more sensitive to being touched in that area,” Parthasarathy mindfully noted. Now, Duxbury acknowledges that while every dog loves a good snuggle, it is not always on the human’s disposition to do so. She revealed inviting the dog to cuddle in your space is a better practice than forcibly picking them up and smothering them with hugs and kisses. Skeehan said, “This lets them decide whether they’re in the mood for interaction.”
When sleeping, it is advised to not touch or poke the dog for a cuddle. Bending or looming on top of them could make them feel unsafe, so it is best to avoid it too. The idea is to respect their privacy and call out to their names inviting them over to your personal space as we tend to do with our peers. Parthasarathy shared that she likes to make her presence known at first and then walks up to a position easily visible to the dog. Pet owners can invite their pets for a cuddle or playful session by holding out their favorite toy, touting a bag of treats, or simply calling out to them and it is likely their pawed buddy will come frolicking toward the owners.