Tip for February 14: Show Your Love for your Dog with a Big Hug

Although most of us owners think our dogs just love when we give them a big hug, that's really not the case. We might enjoy a hug, sometimes feel we even need one.

But dogs instinctively shy away from hugs because a hug makes a dog feel he is being dominated and restrained.

In spite of this, you should still hug your dog, maybe starting out slow and working your way up to a bear hug. Hugging your dog prepares him when the vet holds him, if there's a situation where he must be carried, or when you want the hug to serve the purpose of steadying him so you can dispense medication (such as eye or ear drops).