Dog Who Won't Let Owners Hug Without Him Melts Hearts
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A borzoi dog has melted hearts on social media after a video of the canine trying to squeeze into all of their owner's hugs went viral.
The heartwarming post shared on Instagram on Monday under the username @oliversophiezoi shows a series of clips of the pup trying to get included in each of their owners' hugs. "Soulmated so hard our dog must join in every hug," reads layover text in the clip. The caption says: "What in the world did we do to deserve dogs?!?"
While the pup in the clip is clearly asking to be hugged, most dogs actually do not enjoy this type of physical affection. Vet Help Direct says that, for dogs, being hugged can feel like restraint, triggering a "fight or flight" response due to the stress it causes them.
Dogs may feel trapped in a hug, and this can lead to defensive biting—often to the face, especially when the hug involves close contact. This risk makes it particularly important to teach children not to hug or physically restrain dogs.
A study on canine stress signals found that about 81 percent of dogs showed signs of discomfort during a hug, such as turning their heads away, freezing, licking lips, yawning, flattening ears, or exposing the whites of their eyes.
Only 8 percent of pups seemed to enjoy the hug, while 11 percent appeared indifferent to it.
Personality and past experiences also play a role; in fact, dogs with a history of anxiety or poor socialization may react more negatively than others.
Despite their dislike for hugging, canines do enjoy affection on their own terms. Many pups like being petted, or snuggling with their owners, as long as they are free to move away. Observing their body language is key to understanding their comfort levels.
Stock image: A big, white dog joins in a couple's hug.
Stock image: A big, white dog joins in a couple's hug.
getty images
The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 11,000 views and more than 760 likes on the platform.
One user, Atlasfluffle, commented: "I agree. Parents are not allowed to hug without me."
Matylda.mayfair posted: "Our Azalea the same, no hugs without zoi! It's a sacred rule."
Peter_and_annie_ added: "Omg this is so precious!"
Newsweek reached out to @oliversophiezoi for comment via Instagram comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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