Do dogs like hugging/caressing?

A book I am reading (The other end of the leash) says that dogs view hugging as an aggressive act, and are likely to respond by biting. I just read an article on line (14 things your dog hates) which said that dogs universally hate being hugged or caressed.

My dogs (my recently deceased 17 year old Toller, and my 11 month old Toller) both come over to where I am sitting and beg to be cradled in my lap. I don't do it, but strangers frequently hug them, and they seem to enjoy it.

Is the information overly generalized (some dogs hate being hugged/caressed...) or are my dogs unusual?

Should I stop people from hugging my puppy? Chloe is quick to growl when she is being crowded (whether it is me or overly friendly dogs) but she has never growled at a strange person.

A lot of these articles over-generalise. They usually base their advice on minor studies while, while useful, can never apply to the whole dog population.

In my case, I've had two dogs that adore to be cuddled and one who hated it. Go with your gut instinct and what your dog tells you rather than what you read online

Don't believe everything you read. Your dog will tell you and a stranger/family member what it likes.

I read that somewhere else - they fear that they might be getting strangled.
Well, mine laps it up. so no, it isn't universally true. I think it's nonsense.

The author has never encountered a Pug then, I'm not really a hugger but the dogs are so I'm hugged a lot.

I understand your running antics now. Perhaps you can see how it wouldn't work for me.........

Lol but the running antics referred to my previous dogs which were Dobermanns so just slightly larger.

You need to change your reading habits, especially the 'on-line' rubbish which appears as if by majic on your screen and has absolutely no authentication whatsoever.

You might like to note that since around 1920 various unniversities have done studies which show unequivably that stroking your dog is good for you and the dog. These studies have been going on for a long time and none of them have indicated what you quoted.

Further more (and annoyingly) every few years you will see a student post on Dogsey "Hi, I am doing my thesis on the benefits to human and dog of stroking and would like your input" (or words to that effect)

Whenever I see this type of post from some 'wet behind the ears' student I send a letter to his/her unniversity demanding they stop this student wasting the tax payers money on research that has been done a hundred or more times and which has proved beyond all reasonable doubt that dogs enjoy being stroked and it has great (health) benefit for the human involved as well.

So let's have no more of this 'false news' and wanna be authors trying to conn the gullible public into laying out money for a book or even worse posting somethin 'on line' expecting everyone to believe it when they obviously don't know what they are talking about

Actually, Patricia Mconnell is well respected in training circles and the book is recommended by many trainers (not read it myself).

However, the hugging scenario has reared its head from time to time and has some studies that back it. Whether the 'experts' back it or not, many dogs do not seem to agree with it and have decided that whatever the studies say, they enjoy it

The biggest expert on your dog is your dog him/herself. Listen to him/her and s/he will tell you what she likes and dislikes

Patricia McConnell is a very respected Behaviourist trainer.
She is an applied animal behaviourist .
https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/

She's written several pages on hugging in the book . She states the differences in human/primate behaviour and canine behaviour .
Getting close and hugging and being tactile is primate behaviour and is used a greeting behaviour along with other gestures . Not so in dogs .

Dogs dont "hug" each other , Male dogs "hug " when they mate . Unless it in play , a dog putting a paw over another dogs neck or "standing over " is pushing bounderies . It can lead to tension and escalate to a fight .

I'm sure most dog owners know whether their dogs likes hugs or not . My dog Pip doesn't but he loves to be stroked.
many young children tend to hug dogs too tightly which can lead to them snapping .

Trouble can happen when people go up to a strange dog and try to hug it .

People often don't recognise the subtle signs that a dog is uncomfortable such as lip licking or tension and wonder why the dog has snapped or bitten