Sometimes the only thing that we need is a good, solid, hug. Part of the human experience is living it with others. A hug is a physical representation that someone is there for you and that they are with you. Does the hug have innate value? Of course not, but as humans, we sometimes need the reassurance of another human’s presence.
One dog got into the habit of giving hugs – and never stopped!
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Cesar is a man from NYC who decided to get a puppy. After falling in love with a six-month-old golden retriever, Cesar had a new friend. The pup was named Louboutina and Cesar loved to hug her! While most of us hug our pets differently than we hug humans, Cesar didn’t! Loubie would stand on her hind legs and use her front paws to hug Cesar. The resulting look was really cute and quite funny.
When Cesar realized how much Loubie loved to hug, he had an idea.
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Taking Loubie around for walks in Chelsea, she would hug as many humans as she could! Whenever someone would stop her to pet or say hi to the pup, she would get up on her legs and give a full-on hug to her new friend. When Cesar realized that Loubie hugged everyone like a human, he had an idea.
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Cesar works at a hospital and decided to bring in Loubie to help patients recover.
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As we discussed in the beginning, a hug can be exactly what someone needs to feel better. Recovery dogs are well known in the medical field for being a source of comfort to people who need it. There have been a lot of studies that show just how impactful a therapy dog can be when it comes to a patient’s mental health and physical well-being. As we learn more, it seems that mental health has a lot to do with a person’s ability to recover faster and stay healthier!
With Loubie being a professional hugger, she had her work cut out for her.
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Giving people hugs who need help is now what Loubie does with her spare time! The cool thing is that science backs up the idea that a hug can be healing and comforting! Select Health says:
Oxytocin is often called the “love hormone,” and it’s released when we cuddle or bond. It’s the reason why being hugged feels so good. So when you’re feeling down, give someone a squeeze and feel your mood lift.
As a result of Oxytocin, people are less susceptible to illness and infection!
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You can see Loubie hugging people all across NYC and the world.
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Cesar has taken Loubie all over the place in search of new people to hug. She has been hugging for years and can’t help but lift the spirits of anyone she encounters. Whether a hug is from a dog or a human, it seems that it is sometimes EXACTLY what we need.
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Check out the video of Loubie and her hugs below!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqC2hENDsf1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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