Do Dogs Like Being Held?

A dog quickly becomes part of the family. A puppy's playfulness and an older dog's devotion can easily warm your heart. But a dog is not a human being, and his emotions are typically not in line with his owner's. A dog's interpretation of your actions may be different than what you intend. The problem with holding and hugging a dog is that it leads to a dog's feelings of nervousness and incompetence, instead of love. While humans show affection by hugging and holding, dogs often times see it as a threat.

  1. Psychology of a Dog

    • According to renowned dog expert Cesar Millan, it is crucial for a dog owner to be the pack leader from day one. A dog is born with a pack mentality and looks to discover the pack order immediately. For an owner to have control and a dog to obey, a dog needs to know his place. If the owner doles out constant affection without expecting good dog behavior in return, the dog will be unhappy. Affection, such as holding, does not make a dog happy, like it does a human baby. When you satisfy a dog's instincts, by giving firm direction, plenty of exercise and praise, that is when he is content.

    Holding Your Own Dog

    • Holding your puppy is sometimes necessary. A newborn puppy will enjoy feeling your heartbeat as a reminder of his mother. In addition, sometimes the puppy is about to get into a destructive situation and needs to be removed. Pick the puppy up by placing one hand around the puppy's chest and your other hand around the dog's rear end for support. An adult dog does not like being held; he may think he is being lifted up to the vet's table and gets insecure. Offer the dog a bone or toy if you must hold him and lift him up in one movement, with both your arms, when he is laying down.

    A Dog's Association with Hugging

    • Dogs do not like being restrained. The only time a dog touches another dog in the wild is for sexual or dominate reasons. Therefore, when people decide to hold or hug a dog frequently, it sends the message that there is reason to be afraid. If panic sets in, the dog might get aggressive and bite.

    What Dogs Think When Being Held

    • One of the problems with holding a dog is that is perpetuates any negative feelings the dog already has. If a dog is content and calm, picking your dog up and giving it a cuddle is sometimes fine. However, when a human shares affection with a skittish or hyper dog, for example, it makes the dog feel weak, not confident. Show a dog how to handle a situation instead of picking it up in your arms to eliminate the dog's stress. On the same note, a dog show's dominate behavior by insisting you pet her, leaning on you or putting her paws on you. This is not a dog's way of giving affection or wanting attention, but rather his way of trying to be above you in the pack order.