Why Dogs Jump You When You Hug Your Partner

Dogs are the best. They will do anything for you and protect you with their very lives if the need should arise. They’re a different story when you’re in a relationship, though. They’ll often get overly protective and territorial, trying to claim your love above your partner’s. One of the clear signs of this is the dog jumping you when you hug your partner. But where does this behavior come from, and what does it mean?

Dogs jumping you is actually pretty easy to explain. While we may think that hugging is nice for dogs, most dogs don’t consider it to be natural or even fun behavior. While for us it’s calming and a sign of intimacy, for dogs it’s someone hovering over you and grabbing your entire body with their full weight. Does that sound romantic or threatening to you? Yeah, it’s bad for dogs too. And that’s why hugging isn’t a natural way for dogs to show affection.