# Anyone with a GSD that likes hugging?



## Rangers_mom (May 16, 2013)

The headpetting question got me thinking. Are there a lot of other GSDs out there that like hugging? I always thought that dogs were supposed to dislike hugging but Ranger seems to love it. He will come up and lean into me and if I hug him for a few seconds and then let go he leans in for more. When my husband hugs him I can see Ranger's face and he just looks completely relaxed and content. I think he would be happy with anyone hugging him since he leans into anyone who will let him. Does anyone elses GSD love hugging?

Ranger is my first GSD and my previous dogs were decidedly uncomfortable with hugging.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Same here but I do not let anyone else hug her for safety reasons.


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## Rangers_mom (May 16, 2013)

wolfy dog said:


> Same here but I do not let anyone else hug her for safety reasons.


I have never had anyone try to hug him. It is just that he leans in to anyone and happily accepts any affection they are willing to give. I am just speculating that he would not reject a hug.

My book club came over last night and Ranger was in his glory. At first some were a little afraid of a GSD but he quickly won all of them over.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Hans does. He will come over when I call him and push his forehead into my knees, and I lean my cheek on his head and give him hugs. :wub: He'll stay for hugs as long as I am willing to lavish them on him.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

Cruz is touchy feely. He will outright get demanding. We have what we call "the pet me chair". It's in the living room next to the stairs and who ever is in it, will get an armpit full of GSD nose until they massage him. It can become relentless. We finally make him lay down. But he loves his massages/hugs.


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## RobBlueMaro (Jan 15, 2015)

Ollie doesn't always like them, he has to be in the mood. When we're out running in the morning, we'll take a quick breather and walk for a bit. I'll see him looking up at me and if I lean over and give him a hug, he leans into it and rests his head on my arm and just stays like that for a bit. When he's full of energy though, not a chance he'll let you hug him.

He tries to be a lap dog too. If I sit on the floor, he'll come over and sit right in my lap. 100 pound GSD thinks he's a lap dog....


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Rangers_mom said:


> The headpetting question got me thinking. Are there a lot of other GSDs out there that like hugging? I always thought that dogs were supposed to dislike hugging but Ranger seems to love it. He will come up and lean into me and if I hug him for a few seconds and then let go he leans in for more. When my husband hugs him I can see Ranger's face and he just looks completely relaxed and content. I think he would be happy with anyone hugging him since he leans into anyone who will let him. Does anyone elses GSD love hugging?
> 
> Ranger is my first GSD and my previous dogs were decidedly uncomfortable with hugging.


Mine likes it from us now. She didn't like it when she was younger, but I think she was busy a lot and was doing the, "Mooooom! Come on, I'm doing stuff!" thing. She especially loves it from my husband. She adores that man.


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## McWeagle (Apr 23, 2014)

Frankie likes hugs, but she has to be in the mood for it too. And she likes getting hugs from me more than from hubby. Nox likes them all the time, from both of us, but at 9.5 mos he can only stand still for so long before racing on to the next thing.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

no. Jax tolerates it. Seger's opposition reflex immediately kicks in and he struggles to get away.

However, Seger will jump up on me when I'm sitting and wrap his legs around my neck while I pet him. Maybe that's his idea of hugging.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Summer requires I multi-task, hug with one arm and scratch with the other hand, she's a leaner too.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I've never been one to hug around on my dogs, but Russell is the kind of dog that loves it. Big goofy thing.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Yes, Keefer loves hugs.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Carm hugs me, lol

10/25/14 by Gator_Dog, on Flickr

10/26/14 by Gator_Dog, on Flickr

11/23/14 by Gator_Dog, on Flickr


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Mine tend to be very affectionate. They like scritches, and hugs, and I do not prevent the girls from doing so. I don't prevent my mother from hugging my dogs. 

One day, a lady who had never been to my house before came and without a lot of warning leaned over a baby gate to hug one of my girls. The dog had her head stuck out of the woman's arm with an "uh, Ok" look on her face. But, she was fine. I did tell the lady that doing that with a dog she doesn't know can be dicey. 

Does it look like Karma likes hugs?


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

Cafall goes for the typical one armed 'bro hug'. He comes up and pushes the flat of his head against me until I wrap an arm around his chest and shoulder. Then he can rest his head on my shoulder. :wub:


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## DizzySnowFire (Jan 22, 2015)

Sunflowers said:


> Hans does. He will come over when I call him and push his forehead into my knees, and I lean my cheek on his head and give him hugs. :wub: He'll stay for hugs as long as I am willing to lavish them on him.


Sammy does something like this too!


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## Ellimaybel (Mar 16, 2014)

I'm already laughing because the "hugs" game is Gunther's secret favorite. When he's lying on the couch or floor and I feel the need I will exclaim "HUGS!" and go for it. He immediately starts grunting and groaning. I'll wrap my arms around him and keep repeating "hugs" and squeeze gently. Then I'll say "hugs and kisses" and follow through. He groans and grunts but starts licking me. If I stop he looks up at me like "what???? that's it????", grunts at me and puts his head back down. Usually after a round he rolls over on his back for belly scratches. We say it's his guilty pleasure because he acts like he hates hugs but he secretly adores them. The only thing is when my husband does it he doesn't grunt or groan. He just lies there and looks at me like "is it over yet?".


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

I and my better half hug Rocky all the time...starngers will ask if he's safe to pet! He's people neutral on leash maybe it's the total lack of feedback that makes people uncomfortable??


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

I'm not normally a huggy person when it comes to dogs because most I have known don't enjoy it. But Kaiju apparently didn't get that memo because he loves hugs to the ends of the earth. If he wants hugs, he'll just walk up to me when I'm sitting in a chair or on my bed and he'll push his head into my chest in a soft little headbutt manner. Then he'll just hold his head there until I wrap my arms around him. He does make me laugh because of his weird hugs. He's not a fan of arms around his belly. He wants to faceplant his head into my lap, fold his front legs down, hold his butt up in the air, and go to sleep with my arms around his neck. Sometimes ear scratches too. He's such a doofus.


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

The day I first met sailor at the shelter, I got up to leave, and he jumped up and put each paw around my waist like a real hug. I was like "okay this dog needs to come home with me" and he did. I don't know if it was an actual hug or something he did out of anxiety or whatever, but it's what made me choose him and we had a wonderful 6 years together after that.


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Ky's not a fan of them at all. I can still give her hugs but she's tolerating them ... as soon as I say OK, she's out of my reach LOL


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm not sure tackling and disabling is the same thing as hugging. LOL



GatorDog said:


> Carm hugs me, lol
> 
> 10/25/14 by Gator_Dog, on Flickr
> 
> ...


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Legend likes being pet, sitting on me, leaning into me, sleeping on my lap, hugs, belly rubs, massage, etc. His father, Nikon, is the opposite. He likes to know where I am but has no interest in hanging out with/touching/on me. The best I'll get is his chin on my lap *if* I have some really good food he's begging for


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## Ruger Monster (Jan 29, 2015)

If I'm sitting on the floor or steps, Ruger loves to jump up and put his paws on my shoulders almost hug-like, and give me kisses. I would hug him back but usually I'm making sure his licks don't turn into any sharking of my earrings! 

He does hate if if I initiate the hugs though, but that's probably because he's not even 4 months old and must be free to roam and play and zoom 


Jasmine loves some hugs, mainly because I scritch her chest with one hand while hugging. She'll push her head up against my neck with a look of pure bliss on her face lol.


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

most of my shepherds loved hugs from my kids when they were younger. kyra, not so much. i think she hated the way my daughters dressed her like a doll, all those years ago.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

My boy LOVES being hugged, he will lean into it and soak my face with slobber if I let him... he's not big into cuddling for whatever reason but he loves any kind of affection 'from me', I of course would never let a stranger hug him.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Week over. Going home to make my dogs tolerate my hugs. Adios!


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

Gavin LOVES to be hugged, if I am even bending over something he will come up into my face and gets so goofy after I hug him, he is actually extremely touchy feeley for a big lug.


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## nezzz (Jan 20, 2013)

My girl is a petting, hugging and belly rub *****. Whenever you're getting close to her she will inch in and beg for a hug, same thing when she is laying on the floor and you're approaching, she will belly up and ask for a rub.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

My guys do, shiggs does not. In fact I have not seen them for 8 days  I can imagine the insane amounts of hugs I am going to be getting. 
Missing my puptarts


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

Kaleb tolerates a hug. He'll lay next to me on the couch, but doesn't want a lot of petting or hugs. He just wants to be near me. However, if we are sleeping he likes to be right up next to me.


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## Rangers_mom (May 16, 2013)

Thanks for all your responses. I guess Ranger is not alone in the world. It does seem as if there are more male dogs that love hugging than there are female dogs. Now don't all jump on my case. I know that there are female dogs that love hugging it just seems from the small sample set you guys provided there were more male dogs.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Well, I have more females than males. But Ninja (female) solicits hugs. The pup pictured is a girl. Babsy probably wouldn't have liked hugs from strangers when she was younger, but she likes hugs from me. Most of my girls do. The boys do too though.


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## Discoetheque (Nov 2, 2011)

Discoe doesn't mind hugs. She'll either lean her head on my shoulder, or rest the top of her head on my chest. Her tail will be wagging the entire time.
The only people allowed to hug her, though are myself, my fiance and my mother. I know the hug is a trust thing (as it's basically restrictive, at it's core), and I wouldn't force her to accept a hug from someone she doesn't know and trust.


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## jackiej (Apr 1, 2015)

Atlas doesn't seem to enjoy hugs when he is not tired, but once he gets nice and tired i like to sneak in my hugs and he lets me, prob too tired to fight it lol


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## CDR Shep Mama (Mar 14, 2015)

Shep is all about the hugs, he likes to rub faces with me too when we hug but I won't initiate the face rub, it's all him cause I won't get in his face like that uninvited.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Our rescue female didn't seem to like hugs or kisses so we never forced them on her. For the longest time she watched our other dogs come up for cuddles and kisses then one day she came up and initiated it. Now she comes up and asks for it fairly regularly. When my husband was in the hospital a few weeks back I woke up to her cuddled up next to me. She never sleeps in the bed. All the dogs have their own crates and beds on the floor.


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## Polarbearprince2 (Jan 24, 2014)

My girl, Eli, loves hugs. She will even "hug" me back by wrapping her front paw & leg around me.


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## ChunksDad (Jan 6, 2014)

Chunk loves to hug and if he were smaller he would be a natural lap dog. He often wraps his front leg around my hand as I am giving him his daily (and often hourly scratches.) He welcomes the contact and the affection 95% of the time. Family members and friends have experienced the same thing how ever since he is protection trained I am very cautious about who gets to pet him outside the inner circle. 
My female, Tascha on the other hand is fairly aloof but occasionally I get some hug time. My wife on the other hand gets it all the time. The funniest thing about Tascha is that when she is on her special couch next to my recliner, she often paws me until I hold her hand as we watch TV together. The hand holding is usually instigated by her and can be for just a few seconds (like a greeting ) or for a good 5 minutes.. She is the only dog that has ever done this with me...
Phil


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## Bella's Dad (Jan 28, 2013)

Our two year old Bella loves to be hugged. I hug her face, neck, and most of all she loves a body hug while her fur is being stroked. She leans into hugs as well.

Then she usually prances around a bit and comes back for more.


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## royals17 (Feb 15, 2015)

Apollo puts up with a hug for around 20 seconds, then he either does a big dramatic sigh, or he groans and pushes me away.


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## WolfsOwner (Jan 16, 2015)

Wolf is big on affection. She burrows her face into my chest and snuggles, loves kisses and hugs!


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## BrennasMom (Mar 2, 2008)

I try to discourage 'hugging' in the traditional human sense (putting paws on me or others) because I find it annoying...However, Fezzik (mix) is the cuddliest big dog I have ever known. He gives what I call neck hugs, he comes and rests his head and neck on me so deliberately it feels like a hug. Does that make sense? lol He is also more than happy to recieve hugs or cuddles from anyone who will offer. Brenna doesn't mind me hugging her, but I think a stranger or aquaintance doing so would freak her out, she would never be aggressive but has always been a one person dog.


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## wingdo (Dec 9, 2011)

While Grace is not big on affection, she will let me as well as children hug her without hesitation. She'll let me do it for 30-45 seconds, and she will let children do it for as long as they want to.


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## Isis von La (Apr 8, 2015)

Yes, my puppy hugs this same way, where she loves to put her head on my shoulder or in my armpit when I sit with her. I interpret this as hugging...and I cant lie...I think I enjoy it as much as she does. (wink wink)


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## OkieDog (Mar 15, 2015)

Finn is still all jumping and playing and running, oh my! So energetic and happy. But when he goes with me in the truck, he's all about the hugs at stop lights. When we sit in the pick up line at school (to get my grandson after school), Finn will make eye contact with me and give me a big ole kiss, after which he gets a good hug from me. My grandson, who is 9, hugs on him all the time. He loves Finn and Finn is very good with him.


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