Your Dog Feels Threatened By Hugs
This is dependent on the posture at which you hug your dog. Dogs, just like other animals, recognize that their neck is a sensitive part of their body. Knowing that their neck is a vulnerable part when attacked, they may be very protective of it.
When your dog growls whenever you hug him, you should pay attention to the positioning of your hands. If your hands are wrapped around the neck, it may trigger some aggression. He may feel like you’re trying to harm him by strangulation or another deadly attack.
As a dog owner, you should pay attention to unusual gestures from your dog, especially ones that indicate threat or aggression. When you hug him and he’s growling, you should immediately let go. Otherwise, he may proceed to bite you.
This is a possibility when your dog who used to hug suddenly changes. Dogs do not speak. So, when they feel comfortable with hugs, they only make their feelings known by growling.
The reaction you get may be less or greater than growling. This depends on the pressure of the hug on them. If the pain is severe, they may bite.
His health problem may be some infection, body pain, or even stress. When you notice sudden changes in the attitude of your dog, you should consult a vet doctor immediately.
Common Reasons Your Dog Growls When Being Hugged
The way dogs and humans express their emotions are different from each other. While humans would like to give warm hugs and say good things, dogs show their emotions by licking each other.
Your dog does not like hugging because it is not a dog thing. If you want your dog to get used to it, try to make him see it as a positive activity, and reward him by giving him treats or thing him when complies.
Some dogs are natural huggers and will even initiate it with you when they have the chance, and some have continuously been hugged as puppies, making them used to hugs by the time they are all grown up.
Just like you would not want someone to burst out of anywhere and get very close to you, your dog also does not want just anyone to invade his privacy.
If you try to hug your dog and you notice he turns his head away, or suddenly grows stiff during the attempt, it might be a sign that your dog does not want you touching him at that particular time, or is not just in the mood for an embrace at the moment.
Your dog could also be anxious about something, and a sudden hug could startle him, making him immediately aggressive.
More Reasons Your Dog Growls When You Cuddle Him
Remember the idiom Let sleeping dogs lie? Dogs get in a bad mood and feel grumpy when they are disturbed from their sleep.
Normally, any attempt to hug a dog while he is asleep or try to wake him up from sleep with a hug will result in a growl.
To avoid this, do not disturb a dog while he is asleep or feeling sleepy as he is not in the best mood for a hug. This should be communicated to children, as they usually try to hug sleeping dogs.
14 Signs Your Dog Doesn’t Love You (Even if You Think They Do)
When guests come over, in public, or just while relaxing on the couch, your dog is being petted.
But suddenly he starts growling when you pet him, maybe in an excited or anxious manner and wants to be left alone.
The next moment he is demanding love again and you ask yourself if your dog is a schizophrenic canine.
Whether this unpredictable behavior has just developed or only occurs from time to time, you will want to differentiate aggressive behavior from simple communication to find the best training method or management approach.
Reasons for your dog growling at you when petted range from affectionate pleasure growling, to warnings around sensitive or painful spots, all the way to growling as last resort due to fear-aggression or anxiety.