Parents warned over dangers of letting their child hug their pet dog

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Parents are being urged to not let their children hug their pet dogs, regardless of good intentions. According the American Kennel Club, most dogs feel trapped when they are embraced, even by their owners.

As a result, they can become stressed and may snap in an attempt to break free from their grasp. The experts are therefore advising parents to either train their pooches to tolerate hugs, or teach their children alternative forms of affection, the Mirror reports.

A statement from the American Kennel Club said: "If you watch dogs interact, you'll notice they don’t embrace each other."They might pin each other to the ground, but it's in only one of two contexts: play fighting or real fighting."So, when you hug a dog, they don't understand what you’re trying to say.

In fact, you’re essentially trapping them."They can't get away from anything that scares them or makes them uncomfortable while in your arms.Did you know you can keep up to date with the latest news by signing up to our daily newsletter?We send a morning and lunchtime newsletter covering the latest headlines every day.We also send coronavirus updates at 5pm on weekdays, and a round up of the week's must-read stories on Sunday afternoons.Signing up is simple, easy and free.You can pop your email address into the sign up box above, hit Subscribe and we'll do the rest.Alternatively, you can sign up and check out the rest of our newsletters here."And as hugging is often accompanied by direct staring and putting your face next to the dog's, they might also interpret your actions as aggressive or threatening."It's no wonder they don’t enjoy the squeezing sensation of a hug."Dogs often show stress signals when being embraced in a hug, according to research