Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 12:44     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Is it normal for the dog to growl just because op is trying to hug or cuddle it?

I could lay down on my childhood dog (lab) and she wouldn’t do anything.

This dog sounds aggressive.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 11:19     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
The dog is also an adult adoptee and the OP is pushing a ton of affection on them.

I adopted an adult cat. Do you know how long it took for that cat to sit in my lap? Three years.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 11:09     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
My dog is a major cuddler - clingy, anxious and likes to be squeezed either by walking through your legs for petting or for hugging. He’ll actually come to you if you call out ‘Huggies?’ and ask for the top down squeeze. He has no sense of personal space at all. He still doesn’t snuggle on the couch for more than a few minutes…. It’s just not his thing and never will be.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 11:09     Subject: Re:Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
This thread has made me miss my sweet chihuahua-terrier mix even more. He was a rescue but boy did he love to be cuddled. He would let me pick him up like a baby and he would lovingly gaze into my eyes and just lay in my arms for hours if I let him. He was just the sweetest thing ever. OP, I’m sorry your dog is not cuddly. I understand why you would be upset about that.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 11:01     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
This is a cat story, but it may apply here.

We adopted a rescue cat almost two years ago. When she arrived she was so traumatized that she would only hide, didn't even pee for a couple of days.

She's slowly warmed up, and only recently will she jump into my lap and cuddle. You have to earn their trust.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 10:57     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A dog is a dog; a rescue dog is not a toy, nor is any dog. Get a squish mellow.


+1. Get a body pillow and cuddle with that.


What’s the point of a dog then?


Holy shit. I've said it before and I'll say it again. It should be MUCH MUCH MUCH harder to adopt a dog, than it is.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 10:57     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Hugging a dog is unpleasant to most dogs, mainly if it is a top-down hug.
It reads like aggression and commands the dog to submit.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 10:56     Subject: Re:Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Anonymous wrote:The dog is normal. You are weird.

I'm on the fence about the growl and snap. My general position is to not tolerate a family dog that snaps when you wake him up or groom him or other things he happens not to like. However, I also don't hassle a dog or squeeze him to me so it's hard to say how egregious his response is.


I make sure that all kinds of touching, including during sleep, are part of puppy training. I use positive reinforcement and ongoing conditioning so that the puppy learns to expect and tolerate a lot of touching.

That’s not really fair to an adult adoptee though unless you’re really committed to training it slowly, building over time, with positive reinforcement.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 10:53     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Normal. My senior adult rescued beagle LOVES attention from humans in the form of pats, ear scritches, baby talk, and deep eye gazing, but he HATES being hugged and doesn't want his body up against yours. My other senior rescue hound is a snuggler. It's very individual.

(Though even dogs who like plenty of snuggling and body contact often dislike being hugged around their torso or neck. Watch their body language. This can be a particular danger area for small kids and dogs.)
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 10:41     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We adopted an adult rescue. He is affectionate but it’s very much on his own terms. He wants pets and attention when he sees us first thing in the morning or coming home from work/school. Sometimes he wants pets at other times and will whine until we pet him. He likes to be rubbed on his chest and belly if he exposes it to you. But he’s not a Velcro dog. Once he gets his pets, he’s fine going off to do his own thing. He’s not the kind of dog who wants to be with his humans 24/7.

In particular, he never wants to “cuddle.” He doesn’t like to be hugged or hanged on or spooned. I pictured getting a dog and snuggling up together on the couch. He rarely wants to do that. He is clear about protecting his personal space boundaries when he doesn’t want pets, especially at night when tired. If you come over to him when he is cyrcked up in a ball trying to sleep, and he doesn’t want pets, he will tense and give a low rumble. If you persist, he might air snap. He’s never bitten or nipped us because we’ve learned to back off at the rumble. It’s not quite a growl but approaching that.

Is any of this unusual or concerning? I don’t have much prior experience with dogs. Other than not being very cuddly, he is a good easy dog to take care of.


Most dogs are like thus especially hate hugs. Hugging is seen as agreession so please stop. Leave sleeping dogs lie


I do find it funny that it's so well known that dogs hate to be approached while sleeping that "Let sleeping dogs lie" is a well known idiom but OP seems to think her dog isn't normal for not liking being touched while sleeping.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 10:06     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
My dog is cuddly sometimes and other times she’ll goes upstairs and hides under the guest bed. She’ll lay on her bed instead of on the couch with me. She’s an autonomous creature and I let her be. Your dog is normal.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 10:01     Subject: Re:Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The dog is normal. You are weird.

I'm on the fence about the growl and snap. My general position is to not tolerate a family dog that snaps when you wake him up or groom him or other things he happens not to like. However, I also don't hassle a dog or squeeze him to me so it's hard to say how egregious his response is.


I probably wouldn’t trust this dog around children. It only takes one well-time “snap” to permanently disfigure a child. But OP doesn’t say whether she has kids in the house.


Do you have dogs? OP’s dog is normal. My dog also does not like to cuddle. They will tell you when you are being annoying (a low growl) and then you should leave them alone. We got my dog as a puppy, this behavior is not the sign of abuse.


I do have dogs, and I don’t disagree with what you wrote. I still wouldn’t trust this dog around children. Not sure why you take issue with that.


Tell yhe children to respect the dog's space
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 10:00     Subject: Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Anonymous wrote:We adopted an adult rescue. He is affectionate but it’s very much on his own terms. He wants pets and attention when he sees us first thing in the morning or coming home from work/school. Sometimes he wants pets at other times and will whine until we pet him. He likes to be rubbed on his chest and belly if he exposes it to you. But he’s not a Velcro dog. Once he gets his pets, he’s fine going off to do his own thing. He’s not the kind of dog who wants to be with his humans 24/7.

In particular, he never wants to “cuddle.” He doesn’t like to be hugged or hanged on or spooned. I pictured getting a dog and snuggling up together on the couch. He rarely wants to do that. He is clear about protecting his personal space boundaries when he doesn’t want pets, especially at night when tired. If you come over to him when he is cyrcked up in a ball trying to sleep, and he doesn’t want pets, he will tense and give a low rumble. If you persist, he might air snap. He’s never bitten or nipped us because we’ve learned to back off at the rumble. It’s not quite a growl but approaching that.

Is any of this unusual or concerning? I don’t have much prior experience with dogs. Other than not being very cuddly, he is a good easy dog to take care of.


Most dogs are like thus especially hate hugs. Hugging is seen as agreession so please stop. Leave sleeping dogs lie
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 09:46     Subject: Re:Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The dog is normal. You are weird.

I'm on the fence about the growl and snap. My general position is to not tolerate a family dog that snaps when you wake him up or groom him or other things he happens not to like. However, I also don't hassle a dog or squeeze him to me so it's hard to say how egregious his response is.


I probably wouldn’t trust this dog around children. It only takes one well-time “snap” to permanently disfigure a child. But OP doesn’t say whether she has kids in the house.


Do you have dogs? OP’s dog is normal. My dog also does not like to cuddle. They will tell you when you are being annoying (a low growl) and then you should leave them alone. We got my dog as a puppy, this behavior is not the sign of abuse.


I do have dogs, and I don’t disagree with what you wrote. I still wouldn’t trust this dog around children. Not sure why you take issue with that.
Anonymous
Post 11/13/2022 09:41     Subject: Re:Is this weird? Dog is not cuddly
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The dog is normal. You are weird.

I'm on the fence about the growl and snap. My general position is to not tolerate a family dog that snaps when you wake him up or groom him or other things he happens not to like. However, I also don't hassle a dog or squeeze him to me so it's hard to say how egregious his response is.


I probably wouldn’t trust this dog around children. It only takes one well-time “snap” to permanently disfigure a child. But OP doesn’t say whether she has kids in the house.


Do you have dogs? OP’s dog is normal. My dog also does not like to cuddle. They will tell you when you are being annoying (a low growl) and then you should leave them alone. We got my dog as a puppy, this behavior is not the sign of abuse.