Of course, you adore your nice boy or girl. They, on the other hand, despise it when you give them enormous bear embraces. "How people exhibit love is not the same way a dog shows or wants to receive love," explains Russell Hartstein, CEO of the Los Angeles puppy training firm Fun Paw Care. "It can, in fact, be really stressful." He claims that dogs may adapt and grow comfortable with close ones hugging them, but he advises caution when hugging a dog you don't know well or allowing strangers to embrace yours.