Psychology of Dogs: 11 Reasons Why They Put Their Paw on You

Why does your dog put its paw on you, and what is it really trying to say? Most owners either laugh it off as a cute habit or worry it’s a sign of dominance, and neither one looks at what the rest of the dog’s body is saying at the same time. This video counts down eleven different reasons for the paw, from dinner reminders to something your own nervous system is built to read as safety. In this video: ✓ How you taught your dog the paw, one answer at a time, and how to turn it into a trick ✓ The Leipzig study showing dogs know exactly where your attention is pointed ✓ The difference between a play paw and a paw that means something else ✓ The polite paw that pushes your hand away, and the five-second test for petting ✓ The nervous raised paw, and the small calming signals that come with it ✓ Why the “dominance paw” is a myth ✓ What the famous guilty look really responds to ✓ The three places to look when the pawing won’t stop ✓ The kneading reflex left over from a puppy’s first days of life ✓ The slow nerve fibers in your skin that respond to warm, gentle touch ✓ The Johns Hopkins door experiment with a stopwatch and a crying owner A paw is a small, warm way of staying in contact. Read the moment, read the body and read yourself, and you’ll usually know which of the eleven paws you’re getting. Most of the time, the best response is simply to let it stay. A few safety notes from the video. Big dogs have big nails, so teach a polite sit instead of pawing if your dog scratches children or older people. Teach kids to stroke the side, never the top of the head, and to stop when a paw pushes them away. Pawing at the mouth or ears, or a dog that pants and can’t settle, needs a vet visit, because dogs are very good at hiding pain. And a dog that kneads or sucks on blankets for long stretches and can’t be distracted is worth mentioning to your vet. For reflection only, not veterinary advice. Tell me in the comments: when does your dog put a paw on you? #dogs #doghealth #dogcare