Do Dogs Understand Our Hugging and Kissing?
This is something all of us dog owners think about from time to time, and I know I do, particularly with Belgian Malinois. For example, Axel acts irritated when I hug him and sometimes moves away. His behavior is the opposite of Tango’s, who loves hugs and kisses like my other dog, Piper, although she rarely looks me in the eye.
Any interaction between sentient beings, not just humans and dogs, but other species (some tiger sharks have been found to respond positively to human contact when empirically tested) will cause a chemical response akin to the interaction between said beings. Kindness and affection trigger oxytocin and aggression and fear will trigger adrenaline. It’s called limbic resonance.
Dogs are lucky because they have a privilege most humans lack today: a connection with humankind and nature in an organic fashion. Humans tend to rely mostly on digital connectivity (tv, cellphones, internet) to tell our minds and bodies how to feel; dogs rely on their senses and therefore learn patterns almost to perfection. If you spend a decent amount of time with a dog, he will learn your patterns and read things like body posture and behavior faster and more effectively than you ever will.
Your canine is conditioned through your tender touches and associates them with happiness, so yes, your dog knows what your caresses and muttered sweet nothings mean and loves you all the more.
Inversely, dogs can also smell the adrenaline being exuded through your pores. So, don’t be afraid when approaching any dog as this can trigger anxiety, mistrust, and fight or flight in the dog and create an unhappy circumstance such as a bite.
The beauty of dogs is that they do not ask for much, and their affection is not based on rewards. After all, dogs with homeless people do not have all the treats or toys to justify staying in such conditions. They stick around because their survival depends upon it…and because their love is unconditional.
For our cat-loving friends, it’s worth noting that the science of limbic resistance also applies to their feline pals, despite that famous saying: “dogs rule, and cats drool.”
Absolutely without a doubt. & cats do, too.
I do mention cats 🙂