Canine Lover Tries To Understand Meaning Behind Dog Raising Paws After Being Petted By Owner

Online user wants to know if the dog is communicating something to its owner with the said gesture.

May

• Published in Animal Stories
• June 15, 2024

Dogs may not talk the way we do, but they are great at communicating in their own way! An owner only needs to pay attention to their pet's subtle body positions and movements to gain a deeper understanding of their dog's thoughts and feelings.

For example, something as small as a lifted paw can reveal a lot about how a dog is feeling, depending on the situation and their overall body language. Some believe that when the dog puts their paw on you, it can be their way of expressing love.

Just as we show affection by petting our dogs, they show it by putting their paw on us. In a way, they’re extending the contact and sharing their love in return.

However, it can also signal other things. They might want to play, need food, feel anxious, or even be in pain.

Usually, this gesture is a positive one, but it can also be a small cry for help. Owners also need to observe changes in behavior.

Your dog might feel insecure and seek extra attention, or they could be hungry. So, it's always good to observe their entire body language rather than focusing on the gesture.

In today's post, we'll take a look at how others interpret this specific dog gesture. The whole discussion started when an online user posted this question:

Why do dogs raise their paws when being petted by their humans? What do they communicate by that?

It can mean they're just petting you back, or it could mean a whole lot of other things.

There are a couple of things they are communicating when they raise their paw to their favorite family and friends while being petted. Because of the many millennia that dogs have lived with humans, they have gotten very good at reading our body language, and mimicking some of it in response.

So when you are petting your dog, if he puts his paw on your arm or leg, it is kind of like petting you back. While most dogs can’t/don’t do an actual stroking action, laying their paw on you is a sign of affection, closeness and trust.

It can also signal “I like that, don’t stop”, especially if you’ve been petting him for several minutes, and you stop, and he reaches for your hand/arm - he’s telling you “more, please”!

Another thing it can tell you is “Scratch my belly” - one of my dogs is especially clear about this. He loves being petted, but his favorite place is his belly and inner thighs.

So if he is sitting and I am petting him, he will lean against my legs, put his paw on my hand, and make a slight pawing/pulling motion. That means “I am going to lie down now, and I want you to keep petting me, but on my tummy.”

When I am petting my dogs, and they simply raise a paw, not resting it on me, that usually happens when I am first beginning to pet them, or if they are sitting close to me, and I am not petting them, and it simply means “please” when they are being polite. If I ignore the polite request, then I will get pawed, like “Hey, I was trying to be polite about it, but I want you to pet me NOW!”

Or they will put their noses under my hand or arm, and push, to let me know that my hands are idle, and they should be petting the fur kid!

And if you have taught your dog to shake hands (or give paw), they know it is an action that pleases you, so they will use it to their best advantage. My dogs know that everyone loves when they spin around, or dance, or other tricks they’ve learned, so sometimes they will spontaneously do them, just to see if they’ll get a treat even if not asked to do the behavior!

They can be very clever, and have a real sense of humor, too.

One Quora believes that it's a sign of trust and relaxation.

So you want to know why dogs raise their paws when being petted by their humans.

Well, it's not just a cute reflex - there's actually some serious science behind it.

When a dog raises its paw, it's often a sign of relaxation and trust.

You see, dogs have scent glands in their paw pads, and when they lift their paw, they're allowing their human to access those glands, which is a very intimate gesture.

It's like saying, "Hey, I trust you so much, I'm willing to let you smell my private scent."

But that's not all - when dogs raise their paws, they're also exhibiting a behavior called "appeasement."

This is a natural canine behavior where a subordinate dog will signal submission to a dominant dog by exposing its belly, rolling over, or, you guessed it, lifting its paw.

So, in essence, when your dog raises its paw, it's saying, "Hey, human, I know you're the boss, and I'm okay with that."

It's a way of diffusing any potential tension and showing deference to their human pack leader.

Dogs also raise their paws as a way to solicit touch and affection.

You see, physical touch is a powerful way for dogs to bond with their humans, and by lifting their paw, they're inviting their human to engage in some quality touch time.

It's like saying, "Hey, human, scratch my belly, please!"

And finally, some dogs may raise their paws due to a natural reflex known as the "flexor reflex."

This is an involuntary response to pressure on the paw, similar to the way our own legs jerk when the doctor taps our knee with a hammer.

So, there you have it - dogs raise their paws for a combination of reasons, and it's not just because they're trying to be adorable (although, let's be real, it's pretty adorable).

It could mean that the dog wants their hooman to stop.

Often a dog is attempting to provide input or feedback. Maybe he's asking you to stop, or maybe change your approach.

Here's my evidence:

Once upon a time I had a very difficult puppy. She attacked my other dogs on a daily basis, even though she had several hours of exercise and one -on -one training per day.

When she showed aggression I did everything I could think of…. I scruffed her, we did dominance rollovers (she was unimpressed)…I ranted and raved… I scolded her vociferously. She still attacked my other dogs as if for fun.

She also happened to be a Queensland Heeler. For complicated reasons having to do with herding cattle, this breed is especially sensitive regarding their feet… they're also very intelligent and expressive.

One day after she had attacked a particularly sweet, submissive smaller dog, I raised my finger to her face as I scolded her mightily. (Blah blah.. leave her alone!!… Blah blah)

And then, in one simple gesture, she floored me:

She raised her paw (as you describe), and she gestured, as if to pull my hand down…as if to tell me: Enough. Stop. I got the message.

I stopped. Speechless. Jaw hanging.

She stopped attacking other dogs after that.

Since then I pay a great deal of attention when a dog raises their paw. Maybe they're trying to tell you something… maybe "stop"… maybe not.

If you're petting the dog on top of the head, and he raises his paw, try petting him under the chin and see what happens… or stop petting the dog altogether: put your hand down directly in front of him and observe his response. If he wants you to continue he might raise his paw and pull at your hand.

RIP Babe. Best Dog in the World.

It could be a sign of anticipation.

Lifting a paw is anticipation- the rest of their body language shows you if it is anticipating something good or something difficult.

If the head and ears are up, its more likely to be anticipating something nice- like a treat or a belly rub.

If the head / ears are down, and the face turned away, it’s probably anxiety or discomfort. They might feel their body space is being encroached- as primates we like ventral (chest to chest) contact but dogs find that threatening.

They might be preparing to use the paw to push you away if you are too close.

Dogs can also develop a paw lift in response to training- a dog who has been trained to give a paw in order to get a reward may lift a paw in an attempt to get a treat; my dog lifts her paw when we go out in order for me to put on her harness- she knows this means going someplace, and she does it on her own as if to say “Come on, Mom, lets get going!”

No one behaviour or calming signal should be seen in isolation- it’s always best to look at the posture, how the head is held, the position of the ears, the tail, etc. Dogs are brilliant communicators - all we have to do is pay attention.

One dog trainer points out that people shouldn't easily believe the typical myths about dog behaviors.

There are some well-known common answers to this question, which I can tell you about.

But before I do that, I want to add the proviso: we as dog trainers are now being asked to look at the evidence for what we say and do. Instead of just repeating some myths that have been handed down, we have to question where this interpretation comes from.

One interpretation of raising the paw is that it is a submissive greeting behaviour, which has its origins in puppies pawing at their mother while being fed and cleaned up as babies.

Therefore it tends to be a juvenile Behavior. Puppies will raise a paw, and people respond, and it easily becomes a learned “shake” or “high five”.

Another possibility is that a raised paw is one of the signs of uncertainty or mild anxiety. Sometimes this can be a response to an overwhelming greeting.

"Pet me more!"

I don't know about others dogs but I have a confused Pekingese who seems to think he is cat. So he doesn't do what most dogs do. However, when I am petting him and he wants more, he'll paw at my arm.

He will not stop until he gets the lovings he so richly deserves. If i am eating fruit (watermelon and pineapple are his favorites) he will do the pawing at my arm and then sit with a hopeful look on his face. He will wait a few seconds and then repeat until I cave.

For me and my Chewy, the paw means “I want" and “Please" because I like to think I've raised a polite dog. He does not do sniffing of parts he shouldn't and he always waits until receiving a kiss accepted before licking.

I'm always amazed by how bossy my dog can be considering he isn't the sort to bark a lot, and he can't speak. Yet some how with a look and a paw he can get his point across.

One owner says it's her dog's way of apologizing.

We’ve taught our dog to give us her paw which she does when she meets everyone now without prompting most likely hoping to get food. I have noticed if she’s told off she will try to offer her paw as if to say sorry.

It’s very sweet when she does this and seems sincere. Another paw movement that she does only to me is when ever I sit on the sofa or in bed she will stand above me and slam both her paws onto me a few times in a pouncing motion.

Next she gets excited and bites me. It’s starting to hurt now she’s got her adult teeth. I was told this she is trying to dominate me. I’ve seen her doing this to other dogs.

People have different beliefs when it comes to this specific dog behavior. That's why it can be hard to determine what the gesture really means.

However, as one user pointed out, a dog owner needs to gather evidence rather than believe the common myths surrounding a dog lifting its paws.

If you want to make sense of a dog's behavior, it's time to observe the patterns in your dog and ask your vet or dog trainer about it.

May