Its very important to be able to touch your dog. Some dogs can get very aggressive when you touch part of their bodies. I firmly recommend that every dog owner should sit by his/her dog, once a day and move his/her hand over the dogs whole body. This means that every day you spend at least five minutes checking that your dog is free of ticks, that there are no strange growths or wounds, and that your dog is not in sudden pain when touching certain areas. Check behind ears and between the pads of the dogs feet. It also is very relaxing and therapeutic for both dog and owner, and it can have a tremendous calming effect on both.
If you find that your dog does not allow you to touch, it  more than likely means that you need help from a vet if the reason is physical pain, or from a qualified dog trainer that has knowledge and experience in dealing with behavior problems, if the problem is not vet related.

So while everybody in Israel seems to be busy preparing for the Passover holiday, don't forget your dogs, they are probably eager for a little more attention, and to touch them gently, moving your hands over their bodies will surely be a wonderful and loving deed.

Shabbat Shalom

Michael Bloom
http://www.dogiluf.com/indexeng.htm