Dogs and Hugging??

I've been reading with interest a thread in the Training section http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=112263 where several members have said that dogs don't like having faces in theirs, hugging etc.

It puzzles me quite a bit, as my two will actually 'demand' closeness and hugging, and physical contact with me and OH. Max and Murphy will force themselves under your arm so you 'have' to hug them, and both of them will smoosh faces etc with us.

Is this because they have had this kind of contact from being puppies, so it's nothing out of the ordinary?

Can dogs be 'trained' to like physical contact (assuming they've not had horrible experiences in the past)?

Thoughts?

Mine shove their heads under my arm too, great fun when you have a cup of tea in your hand They do it when I'm typing too. They also bury their heads in our laps when we're sitting down or in our crutch when standing, and no they're not sniffing, they're after a fuss, Syd lifts me off my feet when he does this. He likes the top of his head kissed too and loves his muzzle squished.

Same here.... I was listing stuff on eBay last night, and Max was determined to sit on my knee... sadly I was on a spinny computer chair, so his efforts were thwarted...

My two don't mind head/face contact at all... and Boxers have such lovely smooshy, squishy faces....

Personally I think dogs only enjoy it when they are completely relaxed. All mine are the same, they love cuddles and hugs from me & OH because they are comfortable with us.

But as rescues, I would never have tried this with them on day one - they were all allowed to initiate 'closeness' and it took varying degrees of time before they wanted it.

But equally none of mine would let just anybody cuddle them. A cuddle is restrictive and if the dog is not completely happy/relaxed, its natural reaction will be to try and get itself free as it will feel trapped.

Tip came back to us for that very reason - the 10 & 11 year old grandchildren were trying to hug/cuddle him after he had been with them for less than 24 hours - he just did not like that at all. However, given time to properly get to know them, I have no doubt he would have welcomed their affection.

Monty doesn't do hugs! The only time he will hug is when I go and lie with him for a hug. I can't remember the last time he actually came to me to huggle up!

He's not completely unaffectionate though, he knows when I'm upset and he will come and lick the tears off my face if I've been crying and when I'm ill he comes and lies next to or near me.

The closest he gets to be huggly is when he uses my feet as a pillow when he's sleeping on the floor!

I sometime wish he was more huggly and would sit with me but I think he just likes his own space and to stretch out a bit. It's a shame really because he's very comfy to cuddle up with!

My Chair's on wheels on a tiled floor and I just started messing about with his chops and all three Dobies have gone totally daft pushing and shoving to get their turn and I feel quite dizzy and sick now. I think it's safe to say they love it, and I didn't have Milan from a young pup, she was about 9 months old and pretty hand shy when she arrived, but she hates to be left out of anything. Diesel is always up for a smooch but he's a staffy Frankie's face is tiny and hairy so you get a mouthful but he's fine with it too.

Both my two love having cuddles, they also push their faces under my arm and Honey even comes and sits on my lap on the soft and pushes her head in my arms and goes to sleep ahhh

Sadie always initiates cuddles, whether that be a head under my arm or (her fav) her rubbing her head into my neck- she thinks its bliss when we have a cuddle. However, this is very much restricted to the people in my house. She cuddles my OH, but not in the same way- she more takes th p**s with him and goes ott and turns it into mad games and play time lol.
She will also rest her head on my 2yr old sons lap- pining for a cuddle from him, but hes just not that 'into' dogs so its very rare that she gets a cuddle from him!

When it comes to people outside of the family, she will happily let my friends(who she knows) stroke her but cuddles are a no no as she just trys to get away lol. And if a kid hugs her(who she has never met) yes it has happened without them asking!! the she will tolerate and would never growl but her body language is instantly 'get off me, get me away' and i instantly stop the kids from doing it as i would never want her to be pushed so far that she has to growl for a situation to stop as she just isnt that kind of dog, and a growl to me would mean she was extremely stressed by the situation.

As for ripley...well shes anyones!

Patricia McConnell discusses some of this in her book, The Other End of the Leash. When I read it, it clarified some things I always knew. One of those books that as you go through it, you keep saying, ''That's right''. I always felt my puppies were trying to be the best little wolves they could in the strange pack they found themselves in. She points out the obvious that we are primates and dogs are canines. We do things differently. The Cultural Clash by Jean Donaldson, 1996 is on my list to read too.

Dogs are real conformists, yielding to peer pressure. I do think it is natural to get nose to nose, but many of them adapt to the primate huggy stuff. Some of them even seem to learn to smile. I think the younger they are carried off by a primate troop, the better they adapt. Of course, they need to work at learning to be canines until at least 6 weeks.

Fudge actually comes and sits on the back of my chair puts a leg/arm around each side of my neck and shoves her head into my head and nuzzles. with the kids she places her head against them,muzzle down so that they can hug and tickle/stroke her head and neck......