Don’t you just love coming home to your dog and cuddle with it to release all the stress you had to deal with throughout the day? However, that does not mean you can do the same with all the various breeds of dogs out there.
Some specific dog breeds such as Basenji, Irish Wolfhound, and Afghan Wolfhound do not show keen interest towards their owners cuddling behavior. There are, however, some species of dogs that present a more welcoming nature towards such display of affection from its owner. So, do Westies fall under that category?
Are Westies Cuddlers?
Westies are considered as one of the most friendly and kind natured breeds of dogs. As a result, they are one of the ideal breed of dogs to cuddle with. However, as an enthusiastic Westie owner, you should not simply proceed to cuddle straight away. They may be open to cuddling, but that does not take away the fact that Westies have a very intelligent and alert-minded nature.
It is, however, crucial to understand that any breed of dogs does not naturally possess the characteristics of accepting cuddling. There are some certain traits about a specific dog which, when exploited or trained well, ultimately leads to the development to cuddle-friendly nature.
As such, westies have certain qualities that point to the fact that they indeed like to cuddle.
Non-violent
As stated earlier, Westies are an extremely well behaved and non-violent breed of dogs. Unlike other breeds of dogs, they do not have a high temperament. Although, they respond poorly to rough handling, the same can be said for almost any types of dog species. Their non-violent nature makes them an ideal dog to be around and cuddle without the danger of any major consequences.
Easily Trainable
Westies are naturally intelligent and a clever breed of dogs. As a result, they are easier to train than most of the other breeds. Cuddling is one such process that needs to be taught rather than simply expecting your dog to embrace that naturally. Although some may consider Westies to be stubborn, they are one of the easiest breeds to teach/train if done at an early stage.
Dependency
The vast majority of dog breeds that aren’t considered “cuddle-friendly” are primarily due to their independent nature. They often prefer spending time alone and do not cling for attention. However, Westies have a fairly dependent nature. They are attention seekers and require a good deal of affection from their owner. This makes cuddling an ideal procedure for them to feel loved and adored.
Why Do Dogs Love Cuddling?
For those breeds of dogs who love to snuggle, it is not just something that happens involuntarily. Similar to why humans love cuddling with their canine companion, they too have various reasons of their own.
Body Warmth
Dogs are naturally drawn towards snuggling. How often do you see your dog snuggling with other puppies or under a blanket? The primary reason for such frequency of snuggling in dogs is to keep themselves warm.
Westies have naturally inherited this trait since they were used extensively for hunting purposes and had to cuddle to keep each other warm. Since dogs do not naturally possess the gift of verbally expressing their body temperature requirement, they depend on their owner to provide them with that.
Affection
Several researchers have shown that the importance of showing affection is much more crucial in dogs as compared to other pet companions. Studies have also shown that cuddling plays a major role in determining the strength of the bond between you and your canine companion.
You cannot simply deny the fact that dogs are indeed aware of their environment and the nature of care and affection humans portray.
In fact, a study conducted by Gregory Berns revealed that nearly 20% of the dogs responded more positively to their owners praising them, rather than feeding good foods. This naturally means that dogs are indeed aware of affectionate behaviors.
Hence, if your dog shows a keen interest in cuddling, it means they feel a strong sense of affection between him and yourself.
Creates a Stronger Bond
Believe it or not, dogs use cuddling as a mechanism to create stronger bonds with its owner. How does that happen? Well, Science has the relevant answer to that.
A hormone called Oxytocin is released when a dog cuddles. This hormone plays an important role in promoting a comforting and calming effect on dogs. In fact, it has been revealed that just 3 minutes of cuddling can increase the level of Oxytocin hormone in both the dog and the owner as well.
This ultimately helps in enhancing the bond between you and your Westie.
In addition to this, the release of Oxytocin in our human body has several other health benefits. Oxytocin reduces the cortisol level (stress hormone) in our body. As such, the release of this hormone reduces the stress level, depression symptoms and lowers the risks of stroke as well.
Precautions to Take While Cuddling Your Westie
Balance is the key to every minor aspect of our lives. As a result, cuddling too can have some negative side effects if you fail to identify some key factors. Westies, in general, do not respond well to forceful handling, so if you overdo the cuddling process, it may not end too well for you.
Also, not all Westies may exhibit the same level of fondness for cuddling. In some minor situations, you need to validate its level of friendliness and energy level around the house to see if they will respond positively to cuddling.
Bear-type hugs, in particular, have been known to cause anxiety issues in dogs. Hence, it is always better if you can avoid doing that just to be on the safe side.
It is also of no secret that dogs carry around bacteria and bugs as well. Hence, snuggling with your Westie in your bed on a regular basis is not recommended as well. You can either give them a thorough bath regularly to restrict any kind of bacteria-related health issues, or you can simply avoid snuggling in your bed.
Conclusion
Westies are one of the most friendly and responsive breeds of dogs when it comes to cuddling. They make an adorable pet, and their friendly attitude towards cuddling indicates their fondness and the willingness to develop a healthy bond with their human companion.
We hope the article was informative and assisted you in getting your doubts cleared about the topic.