Kissing and Cuddling

by Sally Bradbury

Dogs don’t do hugging, so it is something that they find difficult to comprehend when they see us doing it.

They will often see people cuddling and engaging in similar physical contact as conflict, so their reaction may be one of over arousal and joining in, or they may be worried by it.

If your dog reacts negatively to you kissing a partner or hugging a child, it is easy to overcome with a little bit of time and training.

For now, every time you hug it will be without the dog in the room unless you are actively training him.

Use some very delicious treats cut up into small pieces and sit together on the sofa or do whatever you would normally do.

Here is how to change his mind about your hugging from it’s a bad thing to it’s a good thing:

  • Touch your partner or child or each other on the shoulder briefly and give the dog a treat
  • Repeat a few times
  • Then perhaps one of you put an arm around the other and treat the dog

I’ll leave you to work out the various stages that you are going to go through but it is important that you start at a level that does not get a reaction from the dog. Gradually do more each time making sure that you keep him below his threshold until you can kiss and cuddle and smooch while your dog patiently waits for a treat.

This has got to be about the most fun you can have training a dog!