You probably love cuddling with your furry pet, don’t you? But it is not always that your dog also admires cuddling with you. At some point, they dislike your snuggling and hugging with you.

Want to know the reasons behind your dog not liking to cuddle up with you? If yes, then here are some of the possible reasons why some dogs love cuddling and some don’t:

Why do some dogs like to cuddle?

Here are some of the possible reasons that dogs like to cuddle:

It provides warmth

As dogs start snuggling with one another from a very young age to keep their body warmth. So, they sometimes cuddle up with you under the blankets simply because they are feeling cold.

A woman cuddling with her dog.
Image Source: Instagram@scout_doin_tings

To protect their people

As far as history goes, humans have been rearing dogs for their protection. Also, they helped their owners from freezing to death in cold seasons. In the past, humans had to cuddle up with dogs to keep themselves warm from the cold temperature. Therefore, dogs and humans have been cuddling up with each other to keep their body warmth for survival.

To show affection

In simple language, Cuddle refers to holding one close in arms as a way of expressing love or affection. Hence, cuddling is not only about warmth, but it is also a way of showing love and affection to someone. Saying that dogs cuddle with their owner to closely bond with them.

A dog cuddling with its owners. Image Source: Instagram@majorgeneralwallace

It relieves stress

Cuddling with a human partner is a great stress reliever and same is the thing with dogs. It has been proven that cuddling and snuggling with your furry pal increase oxytocin levels in both of you. Oxytocin is a love hormone that is related to trust and social bonding.

They are your baby

Human and dog’s interaction with each other can extract the same hormonal response that a mother has with her baby. Yes, this makes sense because dogs are our baby indeed. Knowing that they consider their owner as their mother is a nice feeling for every dog owner. Hence, they love cuddling with us considering their mother.

Why do some dogs don’t like to cuddle?

Well, that was all about the reasons why dogs love cuddling. Now, here are some reasons that dogs don’t like to cuddle.

The reason for not liking to cuddle with people can vary from dog to dog. Firstly, cuddling a dog can make it feel claustrophobic and as they are cursorial creatures, their ability is to run when they fear something. And by cuddling up with them, their stress and anxiety level raise considerably.

According to Marie Claire, 82% of dogs show additional signs of stress and anxiety when people hug them. To add, it seems that they are actually threatened by a lot of things we do. Things like patting their heads, smiling at them and letting them sniff our hands are a threat to our pups.

How can you make your dogs cuddle?

Here are some of the possible ways that can make your dog cuddle with you:

  • Always hand feed your dog when you want to cuddle with them, you can use a few treats or their favorite food.
  • You should be always playing with your puppy. Rub and scratch their belly and neck when they are near you. Make them now that you are willing to give them affection and attention. And this will make them more comfortable to show you love and affection.
  • Start letting your pup lay and sleep with you on the couch and in the bed. Your dog is more likely to cuddle with you if it sleeps with you. Dogs really want and love to be with their owners indeed. So be sure to praise and let them know that you appreciate it when they lay and cuddle with you.
  • Show as much affection to your dog as you can by brushing and grooming them. The more attention you give, the more your dog will want to be with you. Make your dog enjoy and get used to it by using this regularly.
  • Dogs surely love it when you pet them. So, pet them early and very often which make your dog’s cuddly turn on. This is something that is always effective.
A dog cuddling up with its owner. Image Credit: Instagram@lauraelainecreations

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