Feel Depressed? Take A Hug Dog!

5 min read

If you are considering buying (or adopting) a dog as your emotional support animal, you might be confused by the variety of breeds — they are all so cute and so beautiful that making a choice seems to be absolutely impossible. But what if we tell you that there is a breed with the name that clearly shows the dog was made to give and get love? Yes, today we are talking about the hug dogs.

What is The Hug Dog?

You can hug every pet, but you cannot name every one of them as a hug dog.

The hug is not just any dog that loves to be hugged. From this point, every dog is a hug dog. The hug is a mix between the Pug and the Siberian Husky — “a designer breed” as it’s called as hugs were produced by the deliberate crossing of two pure breeds. Two very different breeds, we might say. And the result is actually quite unpredictable as the puppy can take more after one of the parents or another ending up taller or shorter, with a longer or shorter coat, and with more or less active character. The basic set of features to be expected is the following: 

• Height. 16-22 inches. 
• Weight. 30-60 lbs. 
• Coat. Short or medium, straight and smooth. 
• Color. Black, white, grey or red. 
• Eye-color. The hug’s eyes can be blue, brown or amber. In some cases, a dog can have two different eye colors — the feature, inherited from huskies.
• Life-expectancy. 12-15 years. 

So, when getting an ESA hug, you can expect a medium-sized dog, either a little shorter or slightly taller but never as tall as a husky parent, with smooth and short hair that greatly varies in color and quite high life expectancy meaning you are getting a long-term best friend. 

The Hug Dog — Behavior Peculiarities 

Hug dogs are very active and they love spending time running and playing.

Regardless of the appearance, hugs are the perfect emotional support animals due to their easy-going character and intelligence. For a better understanding of the hugs nature, let’s take a closer look at their parents. 

A Siberian Husky is an extremely friendly dog. It’s always the best buddy of every kid in the are and it can spend hours playing with people and other dogs. Despite their friendliness, huskies are not the best choice for first-time dog owners or those with little free time as they are super-active and require a lot of exercise and training. Otherwise, get ready for your house to be destroyed when the doggy decides to play on its own. Husky is a perfect companion for hikes and runs. 

A Pug is a striking antithesis of a husky. While there is nothing better for a husky than running half a marathon with its owner, a pug will prefer chilling on a couch, preferably with a cozy blanket on. While huskies totally adore their owners and will try to show their affection in any way possible, pugs like to be adored themselves. Despite their funny and somewhat silly appearance, pugs are intelligent and charismatic. 

And when these two breeds are crossed, the perfect combo happens. A hug is a great companion both for outdoor activities and indoor couch-potatoing. They are smart, friendly, not aggressive and good with children and other dogs. Expect to make new friends every time you go out to a dog park as hugs are as social as you can imagine. They will still require some training and attention but far less than their Siberian ancestors. 

How to Take Care of Your Hug 

A hug dog requires so much care and attention as any other breed.

When it comes to care and maintenance, hugs are not too demanding yet still require some time and attention. It’s best to learn as much as possible about the breed before you take a hug as your ESA so that both of you can be comfortable with one another. 

Training and Exercise

As hugs are active and social, you might want to leash-train them while they are young to lower their chances of escaping and running away in search of new friends. While hugs are totally okay with living in an apartment, it would be great for them to have a backyard to have some time just running freely and fooling around. If it’s not an option, make sure you are ready for at least an hour-long walk every day. But even with a yard available, add a dog park to your walking route as playing with other dogs and people is essential for hugs. 

Grooming

When it comes to grooming, it all depends on whose genes are dominant in your hug’s blood. If it has a shorter coat like its pug parent, brushing twice a week will be enough. If it took after the husky’s longer coat, you might need to increase the number of your brushing sessions to 3-4 a week. 

Nutrition

As hugs are an energetic breed of working dogs, they require highly nutritious food to support all their activities. The average daily amount of dog food for a hug is about 2.5 cups but you can adjust it according to your pet’s size and activity level. 

Health 

Hugs are generally healthy dogs but, just like any crossbreed, they can have some health issues. Both pugs and huskies are prone to heart attacks so you’d better keep your hug out of the sun on the hot days and make sure both of you are well hydrated. Other health problems common to the hug bread are hip dysplasia, atopic dermatitis, obesity, and cataract. Occasional check-ups at the vet might be a good idea. 

Emotional support animals can be a great help to those feeling depressed or anxious as their presence significantly helps to reduce stress. And it’s just great to always have someone to play or to cuddle with, someone, who is always happy to see you. Hugs can make perfect emotional support companions — these cheerful dogs will make you forget all your troubles and feel much calmer and happier.