There’s nothing better to ease stress and anxiety than cuddling with your best bud on the couch. If your best bud is your springer spaniel, do they feel the same way? Do springer spaniels like to cuddle? – yes springer spaniels enjoy to cuddle with their owners, and will often snuggle in the minute you sit down.
Do Springer Spaniels Like to Cuddle?
Cuddling is probably a springer spaniels favorite thing to do, sometimes even more than chowing down of their favourite food. The springer is a cheerful and affectionate chap.
If you’ve had a bad day at your job, they will be right there snuggling close on the couch, and you’ll soon forget about your terrible day; no cocktails are needed!
Spaniels are loyal and loving to their families and aim to please. You are their pack, and curling up with pack members, along with showering you with doggie kisses, makes them just as happy and content.
Springer spaniels are also number three on a list of thirteen dogs that enjoy cuddling, preceded only by the pug and the boxer.
Why Do Springer Spaniels Like to Cuddle?
BONDS – Cuddling builds a bond between dog and owner. The feeling both you and your spaniel get from curling up together is indescribable unless you have a dog.
Dogs also help to alleviate stress and anxiety. It is a proven fact that pets help people with emotional problems because they love unconditionally. When we cuddle with our spaniels, the hormone oxytocin is produced by your hypothalamus and then released by the pituitary gland. This, in turn, gives us the warm and fuzzy feeling that bonds us.
Oxytocin is sometimes called the “feel good” hormone and even the “cuddle” hormone.
INSTINCT – For spaniels and all dogs, cuddling is an instinct from their ancestral past. All dogs are direct descendants of the grey wolf or Canis Familiaris and are wolves that have been domesticated. Wolves in the wild will huddle together for warmth in the wintertime.
PROTECTION – Canines are naturally protective. When wolves huddle together, they keep their weakest pack members in the center for warmth as well as protection.
These are usually the elderly and the young. Your spaniel loves to get snuggly with you, but they are also giving into their instinctive protection mode.
They are guarding you against harm even though the only thing they may be saving you from is yourself and a raid on the refrigerator! Protecting you is their job. You are their pack leader.
What if Your Springer Spaniel Likes to Cuddle Too Much?
To some owners and spaniels, there can never be too much cuddling. Often, though, spaniels may want to snuggle all the time and sometimes only with one family member.
Many breeds follow their master’s around everywhere they go. You get up; they get up. You go upstairs; they follow. This is mostly a normal thing. They want to be everywhere you are because they love you.
Heavy breathing can be heard outside the bathroom door. This is not unusual. Again, you are the pack leader. This becomes a problem if your spaniel should show any aggression towards other family members or begin to show signs of separation anxiety.
This would be the time to consult your veterinarian.
If you are working from home, your spaniel is probably ecstatic. Your home and hanging around in your pajamas all day. That means cuddling on the couch all day, every day! This is when you need to set up some boundaries.
Make sure you have a separate work area. Working from the couch with your computer on the coffee table is just not going to cut it. Working at a desk or the kitchen table would be ideal, or no work is going to be accomplished.
Spaniels love to be outdoors and need to have daily exercise. Take your pup for a good long walk, or let them run in the yard or park before beginning your workday at home.
Give them some attention as well. Have an area set up near your workspace, perhaps with their bed, some toys, treats, something to keep them occupied.
If you take a lunch break, take them out for another walk, if time allows, or at least play a little throw and retrieve. Your springer will soon know the drill and get into a daily routine.
Do All Springer Spaniels Like to Cuddle? What if Yours Does Not?
Every dog is an individual, and the same goes for springer spaniels. Sometimes a springer spaniel may not want to snuggle up. If your spaniel had a previous owner or you adopted them from an animal shelter, those environments may have played a role in their emotional development and temperament.
Shelter dogs are wonderful animals, and in this case, patience, time, and lots of love will be the answer. They may have felt unsafe in their former home, and they need to develop trust in you. In time, they will feel safe, secure, and ready to cuddle.
If any stressful situations happen in your home, dogs can sense this and pick up on the bad vibes. This can also make them feel nervous, insecure, and not in a cuddling mood.
A spaniel that has always been a cuddle bug and suddenly becomes distant and aloof can signal a red flag. Something is off, and contacting your veterinarian would be wise.
Your springer can’t tell you if they are feeling sick or in pain, and in this case, it’s up to the pack leader and veterinarian to get to the bottom of this concerning issue.
Springer Spaniels may not like to cuddle due to their independent nature and unique preferences.
These dogs were originally bred as hunting dogs, and their instincts can and often do drive them to explore and work rather than engage in prolonged physical contact. Additionally, their high energy levels make them more inclined towards activities that provide mental and physical stimulation, such as running and playing.
While cuddling can offer comfort, it may not satisfy their need for active interaction.
Some Springer Spaniels may also have sensory sensitivities or past experiences that make cuddling uncomfortable for them. It’s important to respect their personal boundaries and find alternative ways to bond and show affection that align with their individual preferences.
Final Thoughts
A spaniel has always been a cuddle bug and suddenly becomes distant and aloof can signal a red flag. Something is off, and contacting your veterinarian would be wise. Your springer can’t tell you if they are feeling sick or in pain, and in this case, it’s up to the pack leader and veterinarian to get to the bottom of this concerning issue.
If you have a springer spaniel, you probably already knew that they love to cuddle and nuzzle you, but you may not have known why. Hopefully, these facts have enlightened you.
Since wintertime is fast approaching, there is no better time than to curl up on the couch with your furry child, snuggling and taking in a game, movie, or reading a book. Not only will this help your mood and well-being by boosting that “cuddle’ hormone, but your best friend will be oh so happy and content too.
