 Who doesn't love a hug? I'll tell you who. Most dogs. A hug is threatening to most dogs. They'll put up with it from their human pack members. But when a stranger does it, it signals domination and an invasion of space. It makes a dog feel threatened. We communicate with words. But if you really want to understand your dog, or any dog, you have to watch their body language, their eyes, and what they do when you and other people are around.