When you go on vacation and you need to leave your pet dog in good hands, they should stay at Tailwaggers Country Inn in Van Alstyne, Texas, where they’re guaranteed cuddle time.
Why do dogs love to cuddle? Well, cuddling is more than just a quick hug. It’s time spent together, a dog near its owner or caregiver or friend. Dogs tend to initiate this unique closeness– they like “cuddle time.” Why? Ideally, it’s because they want to not only show affection but they appreciate the warmth being close to you brings them.
Indeed, cuddling is defined as “to hold close for warmth or comfort or in affection
When dogs are puppies, they cuddle with one another to keep warm and, any chance they get, they want to be near their mom. We humans have the ability to put on a blanket to keep warm, but puppies and dogs don’t have that luxury. So… they cuddle with a fellow warm-bodied person or animal.
The Need For Dogs to Cuddle With Owners Goes Back Centuries
Interestingly, cuddling played a major part in how dogs became domesticated over the centuries. Yes, dogs were hunters, but they also needed to sleep at night. They’d cuddle up with their owners in a mutual sign of affection and as a great way for both human and canine to stay warm. People didn’t always have the luxury of heated homes thanks to furnaces. Imagine living in a cold, dark castle in the Middle Ages– surely you’d want to cuddle with your pet dog to keep warm on drafty winter nights.
Have you heard the term “Three Dog Night?” That refers to cold nights when a human would need to cuddle up with at least three dogs in order to keep from freezing to death!
Besides keeping warm, dogs cuddle with us in order to bond with us. After all, dogs are “man’s best friend,” so it makes sense they’d want to be close to us, rather than aloof like cats. Furthermore, cuddling helps relieve stress for both dogs and humans. Research has shown that both dogs and humans see a rise in the love hormone Oxytocin when they cuddle together.
Certain dogs are more prone to cuddling than others– it depends on how they’ve been bred, really. Some are bred to be fierce and independent, while others crave attention and affection. This sounds a lot like humans, too, doesn’t it?
The good folks at Tailwaggers Country Inn love to cuddle the dogs in their care. Cuddling is mutually beneficial for both dogs and humans.
