http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/04/26/dont-hug-your-dog—it-hates-it-say-animal-psychologists/

ton, science editor 26 APRIL 2016 • 5:37PM It may come as a shock to owners, but dogs hate being cuddled, a study has shown.

Animal psychologists say dogs feel stressed and unhappy when they are embraced by their owners, because it stops them being able to run away.

In a study which analysed 250 pictures of dogs as they were being hugged, eight out of 10 animals looked visibly uncomfortable.

Experts at The Kennel Club, and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, also agreed that owners should not treat their dogs like children, because most pets did not like to be cuddled.

The new study was carried out by Dr Stanley Coren, a canine expert and professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.

dv said:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/04/26/dont-hug-your-dog—it-hates-it-say-animal-psychologists/

ton, science editor 26 APRIL 2016 • 5:37PM It may come as a shock to owners, but dogs hate being cuddled, a study has shown.

Animal psychologists say dogs feel stressed and unhappy when they are embraced by their owners, because it stops them being able to run away.

In a study which analysed 250 pictures of dogs as they were being hugged, eight out of 10 animals looked visibly uncomfortable.

Experts at The Kennel Club, and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, also agreed that owners should not treat their dogs like children, because most pets did not like to be cuddled.

The new study was carried out by Dr Stanley Coren, a canine expert and professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.

My dog must be one of the ones who loves a hug. When she’s allowed on the couch with me, she’ll sit right up close and lean into my side. I put my arm around her and she relaxes with a sigh. Not bad for a dog rescued from abuse.

My dog hates cuddles. She actively squirms and escapes.

As far as I can recall, all our dogs have retained the puppy habit of stacks on the mill….including with us.

Actually, thinking about this, I might see how they did that research. Dogs may have a wary expression on their faces if someone new/unknown to them is about. So you might hug your dog but it is busy looking at the photographer to see if you need protecting.
We did teach people in the puppy classes not to go up to a new dog and whack it on the top of the head. We suggested reaching gently towards them and chest patting first rather than head patting. And also chin patting.

And I have a vague recollection of disagreeing with Stanley Coren on other doggy matters over the years.

buffy said:

Actually, thinking about this, I might see how they did that research. Dogs may have a wary expression on their faces if someone new/unknown to them is about. So you might hug your dog but it is busy looking at the photographer to see if you need protecting.
We did teach people in the puppy classes not to go up to a new dog and whack it on the top of the head. We suggested reaching gently towards them and chest patting first rather than head patting. And also chin patting.

Good point.

Our new puppy loves hugs, as long as he’s allowed to get a lick in.

There was a similar study done a few years back. They concluded that dogs that do like being hugged are trained into it. They also said that the action of hugging (eg arms over back of dog) is a dominance display and not all dogs at all times will accept being submissive.

The article says:

“He analysed images of dogs being hugged by adults and children he found on the Internet, looking for signs of stress.”

Presumably most pictures of dogs being hugged by adults and children on the internet are pictures of dogs being hugged by owners.

>Animal psychologists say dogs feel stressed and unhappy when they are embraced by their owners, because it stops them being able to run away.

it is sorta true, I think perhaps it’s partly that larry doesn’t like to get overheated (humans might seem uncomfortably hot, after a while), he at least likes fully stretched leg space between him and me mostly, and when he pushes me away it is part cuddle and part enough space to get up quickly.

in the early days when first got him from the pound (he’d been badly treated, and in trouble a lot too for running away – larry houdini was his name) i’d hold him tight to me chest it’d reduce his terror and shaking during thunder storms.

His cuddles is sitting on me chest, or puitting his paws up on me, and wants to lick me lips, but i’ve seen him spending time licking his arse so the latter’s out.

He doesn’t hate close cuddles, it’s just that he likes to be able to be able to get his legs under himself quick.

sit larry up in your arms though like a baby, perfectly content (he’s baby size too that so serves him well with the wife), possibly because he’s been nursed for some period after being run over by a car and had a broken leg. But that disabling position sitting up has a name, but I can’t recall what it’s called. Sheep are the same while sat on their bum for shearing (or whatever).

dv said:

The article says:

“He analysed images of dogs being hugged by adults and children he found on the Internet, looking for signs of stress.”

Presumably most pictures of dogs being hugged by adults and children on the internet are pictures of dogs being hugged by owners.

Oh, Internet pictures. That’s a scientific way of doing it… or not. What happened to controlled conditions?

I’ll just wipe this off my list of Might be Interesting.

buffy said:

dv said:

The article says:

“He analysed images of dogs being hugged by adults and children he found on the Internet, looking for signs of stress.”

Presumably most pictures of dogs being hugged by adults and children on the internet are pictures of dogs being hugged by owners.

Oh, Internet pictures. That’s a scientific way of doing it… or not. What happened to controlled conditions?

I’ll just wipe this off my list of Might be Interesting.

Fair comments, buffy.

Indeed, arguably, internet pictures are going to be filtered by owners. People are not going to upload a picture of themselves hugging their dog in which the dog is obviously distressed.

Anecdotally, some dogs liked to be hugged, some do not, others seem to tolerate but ignore it. I wonder if it is breed dependent.

This is the bit I don’t get:
“Animal psychologists say dogs feel stressed and unhappy when they are embraced by their owners, because it stops them being able to run away.”

Why would the dog want to run away from a loving/caring/good owner?

Running away from a shit owner…yes.

dv said:

buffy said:

dv said:

The article says:

“He analysed images of dogs being hugged by adults and children he found on the Internet, looking for signs of stress.”

Presumably most pictures of dogs being hugged by adults and children on the internet are pictures of dogs being hugged by owners.

Oh, Internet pictures. That’s a scientific way of doing it… or not. What happened to controlled conditions?

I’ll just wipe this off my list of Might be Interesting.

Fair comments, buffy.

Indeed, arguably, internet pictures are going to be filtered by owners. People are not going to upload a picture of themselves hugging their dog in which the dog is obviously distressed.

Anecdotally, some dogs liked to be hugged, some do not, others seem to tolerate but ignore it. I wonder if it is breed dependent.

I expect so, to a degree. We have bred dogs for particular purposes. The Pug in our household, when he is The Good Pug and not The Naughty Pug, is quite happy to climb up onto Mr buffy’s lap and throw himself on his back on Mr buffy’s lap. Exposing all his soft bits. One of our Boxer males would actually put his paw around my waist if I was lying on the bed reading and I’d allowed him to come up on the bed. Or I could put my paw over him.

I think the research should have been done under controlled circumstances. Preferably where the dog did not know it was being observed.

kii said:

This is the bit I don’t get:
“Animal psychologists say dogs feel stressed and unhappy when they are embraced by their owners, because it stops them being able to run away.”

Why would the dog want to run away from a loving/caring/good owner?

Running away from a shit owner…yes.

Perhaps they just don’t like being restricted regardles of whom is doing it.
Hugs for animals are more for our comfort than theirs most of the time.

Cymek said:

Hugs for animals are more for our comfort than theirs most of the time.

On the other hand, some dogs seem keen to please their owners.

dv said:

Cymek said:

Hugs for animals are more for our comfort than theirs most of the time.

On the other hand, some dogs seem keen to please their owners.

So it could be the individual personalities of the dogs as well, would make sense

Now cats….our tortoiseshell one asks for cuddles. She’ll meow and meow at mr kii until he picks her up, then she’ll lie back like a baby in his arms and purr loudly. She also likes us to do a group hug :P

We dog trainers have a motto….there are few bad dogs. There are bad owners.

Dogs are biddable. They generally want to please. It’s no longer fashionable in dog training circles to say that dogs like a pack leader…but I believe it to be true. This does not mean you are nasty to them, or belt them. You let them do what you want them to do and reward them. And you don’t reward the wrong behaviour. They learn easily in most cases.

dv said:

Cymek said:

Hugs for animals are more for our comfort than theirs most of the time.

On the other hand, some dogs seem keen to please their owners.

Some dogs need a hug to calm them down.

kii said:

dv said:

Cymek said:

Hugs for animals are more for our comfort than theirs most of the time.

On the other hand, some dogs seem keen to please their owners.

Some dogs need a hug to calm them down.

It’s a rich tapestry.

dv said:

kii said:

dv said:

On the other hand, some dogs seem keen to please their owners.

Some dogs need a hug to calm them down.

It’s a rich tapestry.

Yeah, mine also talks.

“Mom, mom, mom, mom!!!” when I get home from work.

I’ve tried to teach her Australian, but she’s stubborn.

humans (bipedal) have like swivel in the shoulder balljoint (along with muscle control etc for), fairly much regardless of the position the arm is extended you can turn the entire arm in the balljoint, this allows getting the arms and hands into position to get up. Quadrupeds like dogs and cats don’t appear to have that.

larry gets a bit claustrophobic sometimes, whatever anyway’s an aversive sensation inclining need some space

People like dog hugs too.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-29/school-of-ants-at-woodfordia/7363746

Interesting article

Ants opt for protein snacks over sweeter treats

Some interesting statements:

- We’ve discovered that ants like frankfurts more than Scotch Finger biscuits and even more than a sugar solution, so if you put your honey or sugar and water into a cotton wool ball, ants will still choose a frankfurt over that

- Some of these colonies had upward of 100 and 200 queens in big colonies, so it’s quite staggering how many ants are below us at any one time — and they’re all girls.

- All worker ants are females. Male ants are produced without having been mated, and only have one set of genes, whereas the females have two sets like typical sexually produced organisms. So ants have a crazy reproductive system called haplodiploidy, which is very different to ours.

I really thought that each ant colony had only a single queen.

Wrong thread, but I do wonder whether ants prefer hotdogs or normal dogs.

Oh…looks like this “research” is actually just a blog post. Not really research and should not be presented as such.

As one of the commenters says: junk

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201604/the-data-says-dont-hug-the-dog

kii said:

dv said:

Cymek said:

Hugs for animals are more for our comfort than theirs most of the time.

On the other hand, some dogs seem keen to please their owners.

Some dogs need a hug to calm them down.

Or maybe they ‘calm down’ because they feel dominated by the hug

does it mention anything about spooning?

Don’t know about spooning, what about forking?

Speedy said:

Wrong thread, but I do wonder whether ants prefer hotdogs or normal dogs.

As you haven’t started a new thread, I’ll answer it here. Ants definitely prefer hotdogs over normal dogs. This may change if the normal dog is deceased though.

School of ants is an awesome citizen science project. I’ve been to busy for school outreach work this year, but I love doing collections for SOA.

We use Don skinless footy franks when surveying for electric ants. While peanut butter may be a more attractive lure, it’s really difficult to work with both in the field and in the lab. Extensive experimentation was used to work out that this particular hot dog was the most attractive. It’s not the same for all species though.

For Yellow Crazy Ants, we use separate lures of catfood and jam. YCA will change their dietary preferences throughout the year depending on availability (or lack) of foods in their environment as well as colony requirements. During brood production, there is a higher need for protein in the colony. From March to August we see a preference for protein while during the warmer months there is a clear and often exclusive preference for carbohydrates. The sugar binges can make baiting difficult as all our current baits are protein based.