There are many ways dogs communicate with us humans. They can bark, wag their tails, gaze, or use their paws. In particular, many people ask what does it mean when a dog puts his paw on you. If you ask the same question, below you can see the different reasons for such behavior.
A dog puts his paw on his owner; for seeking attention, asking for food, when feeling stressed, when being in pain, or for expressing love.
Seeking for Attention
One possible reason why your dog puts his paw on you is that he may be wanting your attention. As its owner, your dog will want to spend time with you once in a while, and will want it even more if you are busy and have neglected it for some time.
For example, if you have been too busy at work inside your home with your dog around, it may approach you and put its paw on you to signal that it wants to play with you. It won’t hurt to play with your dog for a couple of minutes since it can also serve as a break from your work.
Asking for Food
Another possible reason why your dog puts his paw on you is that he is hungry. He may already be starving and wants to eat food. If so, you should check your dog’s food tray or platter, you may have forgotten to put in some dog food in it. Or your dog may just be starving at the moment even if it has already eaten a meal. It won’t hurt to give your dog some snacks or treats.
Feeling Stressed or Anxious
On the negative side, your dog may put its paw on you because it is feeling stressed or anxious. Your dog might be feeling something not right. If you invite it to play but it ignores you, and if it drools or pants, then those are signs of anxiety that you must address.
Your dog may also have separation anxiety. It might put its paws on you when you are about to leave your home. Or it may just be stressed in general. The environment it is in might not be good for it. it is best to consult your veterinarian about this so that you can address your dog’s anxiety and stress.
Being in Pain
Your dog puts it paws on you perhaps because it is feeling pain. There are many possible causes for pain. If it is uncomfortable in walking and always want to stay in a place, then it might have joint pains, in which case you need to use the best dog join and hip pain products. It might also be feeling pain inside its stomach or anywhere else in its body. Also in this case, you must visit your veterinarian so that it can pinpoint the exact pain problem your dog is having.
Expressing Love
On the better side of things, it is possible that your dog puts its paw on you simply to express its love. According to studies, both dogs and humans release happy hormones in their brains when they enjoy a pet session. Hence, when your dog feels happy as you pet it, it can put its paw on you.
No Domination
One popular misconception about dogs putting their paws on you is that they are expressing domination and that they should get what they want. Unfortunately, this is what a lot of people think. Fortunately, that is only a misconception. Dogs and humans have become companions ever since the ancient times. They have developed a strong bond with each other, becoming even stronger even up until this day.
When dogs put their paws on you, it might mean that they want to express their happiness over being your companions. They simply want to show their love and hope that it will continue to foster on.
How to Make Your Dog Stop Putting Its Paws on You?
In cases when dogs put their paws on you for reasons like expressing their love and wanting playtime, there can be times when we don’t want them to do that. For instance, their paws might be dirty after playing in the mud or you are wearing some delicate fabric that you don’t want to be scratched. In these conditions, you want to signal to them to not put their paws on you. But how will you do that?
- First thing to do is to ignore your dog. When it puts its paws on you and you don’t want that, don’t give it eye contact. Move your body so that it will be unable to reach you. But do this only subtly. Don’t give off too much negative energy so that you won’t scare it.
- Next, continue ignoring your dog. Don’t give it attention because if you do, it can become confused and possibly think “does my owner want me to paw it or not?”.
- If your dog desperately paws on you, there might be something urgent that needs to be addressed. Hence, take a look at that first. Is your dog feeling pain? Is he hungry? Is he so bored and needs playtime? Address these questions first. If your dog simply wants your attention and playtime, continue ignore its pawing.
Conclusion
There are, indeed different reasons why your dog may put its paws on you. It is very important to understand and find out the root causes of this behavior. That way, you will be able to continue to become a good pet owner to your beloved pet dog.[/box]
