Does Your Dog Like Being Picked Up Like A Baby?

As a living-breathing embodiment of ‘cuteness’ with hypnotising eyes, not picking up dogs can be a task next to impossible. But is your act of showing love for your pooch seen as love by them? No! As devastating as the news might come off as, dogs hate it when we pick them up like our very own fur babies.

Animal experts state that constantly picking up dogs can be seen as an invasion of their space. So yes, the hurrrr and humph sound whenever we pick them up is a ‘let me be’ warning to the owners. Sings that show that they don’t like being held include leaning away, cowering, yawning, lip-licking, showing the white of the eyes etc. The other more obvious or aggressive signs include growling, barking, whining and snapping at your outreached hands.

Like humans, dogs communicate differently to us. But unlike humans who use words as a means of expression, Dogs communicate with every part of their body that includes the tail, ears, eyes, mouth etc.

Since we are talking about the most yet unknown act that our dogs don’t like, also keep in mind that dogs hate the constant patting on the head. While for us pet lover, patting dogs can be seen as a way of calming them or saying hello, dogs feel cornered by the act. Sarah Bartlett, a qualified international dog training instructor, told The Mirror, "The wrong way to approach a dog is to walk up to them head on and just lean straight over them and go down and .”

"Dogs don't like you going over their head. It's quite a threatening gesture for them, as is going straight forward into them’’ she added.

According to dog experts, the best places on a dog's body to stroke, including the chest, shoulders, base of the neck and under the chin. However, do keep in mind to reach in from the side so as not to appear threatening.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Other more obvious or aggressive signs that your dog does not like being held include growling, barking, whining and snapping at your outreached hands
• According to dog experts, the best places on a dog's body to stroke, including the chest, shoulders, base of the neck and under the chin