When I got my dog at the shelter, they told me two things about him:

• He liked to eat garbage.

• He liked being held like a baby.

He was a good size for it too, about 30 lbs. Big enough for a real hug, but not too heavy to lift comfortably. He would press his neck against mine when I held him - I think that was the way he reciprocated. The funny thing is that he was jealous about my hugs. If I hugged another person, he would whine, stand on his hind legs, and try to push that person away from me with his front legs.