Why Do Beagles Like to Cuddle? Do Beagles Like To Cuddle

Beagles are known as notorious cuddlers. It is because these dogs were initially trained to hunt. They used to sleep next to their humans and share space and body heat during the winters.

Dogs choose to cuddle with humans to feel safe. They are used to doing everything with the pack, so they feel safe in numbers.

Beagles are attention seekers and want to be the life of the party. They love to nestle up with their owners. Moreover, their affectionate and friendly nature is hard to resist.

If your Beagle is not being as cuddly, or you are just curious about why they are constantly by your side, read on. With this article, you will understand why they are affectionate and how to encourage this behavior.

 

Why are Beagles Affectionate?

Why are Beagles affectionate
Photo By thelifeofbrian_beagle

Beagles are social and friendly dogs. They love human company. All the affection they heap on you is to tell you how attached they are to you.

Beagles like to connect with people physically. They want to be near you 24/7. It might seem intimidating, but their affection can be just what we need to make our day.

They might do the following things to show their affection:

  • Lick you
  • Shower you with kisses
  • Jump at you and around the room
  • Wiggle their bottom
  • Follow you around
  • Bring their favorite toy to play
  • Burrow under your sheets
  • Cuddle with you
  • Ask you to carry them
  • When you return home, they will jump on you and explode out of joy.

Dogs love human touch. They approach their caregivers when they are afraid and anxious. As they are prone to separation anxiety, they will strive to be comforted and soothed by their owners.

Affection is a symbol of love between you and your dog. Moreover, your Beagles might feel content when you show them affection in return.

Considering they were bred alongside humans, it is not surprising that cuddling is an instinctual survival skill. As they were part of a large pack, they would depend on other dogs’ companionship, warmth, and body heat, all of which we mentioned before. These behaviors have likely lingered.

This is also why they make great family dogs.

 

Ways to encourage affectionate behavior in Beagles

Beagles are naturally affectionate. However, not all dogs are the same. Some might not like being cuddled or dislike showing affection.

Remember that you cannot make your dogs show affection. You have to teach them how just like you teach basic commands. Not all dogs are inherently affectionate.

Here are a few ways you can encourage this behavior:

  • Reward them when they show affection. Use positive reinforcement so that they come to associate affection as a positive notion.
  • Build trust with them. Give them regular exercise and food. When you create a safe and comfortable environment for your dog, they will feel secure and learn to trust you. Make them understand that you are there for them, come what may.
  • Show happiness when they are being affectionate.
  • Show them affection and return it. Whenever you are returning their affection, make sure you are being fully attentive.
  • Use food and treats as motivation. Beagles love food so that they will respond positively to treats.
  • Give good belly rubs and massages.
  • Show more love and they will reciprocate.
  • Fix a time to spend time with them; grooming, brushing their hair, taking them for walks will help you get closer.
  • Make sure you have a relaxing session together after playtime.
  • Share common objectives (such as reaching a particular destination on walks) and do things together as much as possible.

Beagles are known as people pleasers. Therefore, it won’t be challenging to train them to be more affectionate. Remember not to force cuddling. It will have the opposite effect, and they might come to resent it.

 

Why do Beagles burrow in blankets?

Beagles want to feel warm, protected, and calm. They used to make den-like structures to burrow into them to remain safe from other animals. So, they are replicating the feeling by borrowing blankets.

During winters, Beagles have a hard time administering their body temperature. They have short coats that don’t provide much insulation. When they burrow and cuddle with us under the blankets, they feel warm.

Moreover, dogs dislike being left alone. They want to be around you all the time. They seek human touch to establish their connection to you. It is yet, another sign of their affection.

Beagles love to dig, so burrowing is natural for them.

 

Benefits of cuddling with dogs

Benefits of cuddling with dogs
Photo By iamdexterthebeagle

Dogs are the creatures that love us more than they love themselves. So, it goes to say that their affection can have many benefits on us:

  • Being close to them makes your bond stronger.
  • Cuddling strengthens their trust in you.
  • Cuddling increases oxytocin which is a positive emotional stressor. Oxytocin is associated with feelings of trust, empathy, and strong bond formation. It makes both parties feel better.
  • It helps lower Anxiety, Stress, and Depression.
  • They can sense if something is wrong in the environment and read the moods of their owners.
  • Once they learn that you aren’t feeling well, they will try to comfort you and reduce your emotional pain.
  • Cuddling normalizes the heart rate of the person.
  • It can lower cardiovascular diseases and blood pressure.
  • They will not leave you alone once you build your trust with them. It can be a reassuring thing for people who suffer from depression and loneliness.
  • It will also improve the emotional well-being of the dog. Your touch can be comforting when they are anxious. They will run to you if they get scared of loud noises or fireworks.

While cuddling can be beneficial, you should not overdo it. They can become dependent on it and use cuddling to deal with separation anxiety or anytime they are stressed. The worst-case scenario is, you will have a hard time leaving them alone.

You can overcome this by gradually leaving them alone for brief periods. First, try it while being inside the house but in different rooms. Then, proceed to go outdoors and repeat the same.

 

Conclusion

Beagles like to cuddle to feel safe and protected. It is an instinctual behavior that reminds them of the den-like structures, so they burrow under the blankets. Moreover, this is how they show their affection.

These dogs are affectionate because they love the human touch. It is their way of showing how much they love you.

You can motivate them to be affectionate by giving them rewards and using positive reinforcement.

The benefits of cuddling we listed go both ways. So, even if you were apprehensive, this article may have given you some confidence and insight.

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