Sorry, but your dog really doesn’t want your hugs.
Studies have shown that hugging a dog helps humans destress, but it looks like it’s not a two way street. According to Professor of Psychology Stanley Coren, dogs are cursorial animals, which means that they rely on their ability to run away in times of danger. By giving Fido all those snuggles, you’re effectively disabling him from his most basic reflex instinct. In fact, Coren performed a study of 250 random photos of dogs being hugged, and “81.6% of the photographs researchers scored showed dogs who were giving off at least one sign of discomfort, stress, or anxiety.” Yikes.
So as much as you love showering your pup with hugs and kisses, maybe you should stick to edible signs of love like treats (it’s going to be so hard, we know).
What do you think of this new study? Let us know in the comments below!
xx, The FabFitFun Team
