Why You Can't Stroke A Dog On The Head And Stomach: Truth And Myths

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

How to pet your dog correctly for both you and her pleasure

Most owners believe that dogs are extremely fond of being petted, squeezed and stroked. However, it turns out that this is not entirely true, or rather, not at all. It's important to do it right.

Why you can pet a dog differently

The touch of human hands, even if they belong to a dearly beloved owner, is not always pleasant to a pet. A devoted dog will patiently endure everything, because he cannot disappoint his owner. However, a stranger's dog will not tolerate the discomfort caused by a person and may growl or even try to bite in response to a caress.

Reasons why some touches do not delight pets:

• sharp and impulsive movements are simply frightening;
• rough caresses are painful;
• touching is unpleasant;
• the animal is touched in the wrong place (in "forbidden places");
• bad time for fondling.

The dog may not like petting, but it endures so as not to offend the owner

How not to pet a dog

Dogs, as well as people, are not always ready to adequately respond to the violation of personal space. Each animal responds to touch individually, but there are several prohibitions that unite them all:

• You should not pat the pet's body or head, even for the purpose of praise, since this action is assessed as punishment and scares the bewildered dog, and sometimes it just hurts.
• Hugging a dog is also perceived differently - as a demonstration of superiority and strength. They do not like to hug, but they endure.

• Contrary to popular belief, not all pets enjoy stroking the head. The presence of a huge number of nerve endings under the thin skin makes any touch uncomfortable. The puppies may not get their ears (if they must stand according to the requirements of the breed standard) due to the habit of tucking them in, avoiding unpleasant contact, or mechanical damage to the still fragile cartilage.

  

  Not all dogs are delighted to be stroked on the head.

• A pet that has fallen on its back and demonstrates an open belly does not at all count on affection, but shows its complete trust. Most dogs do not like belly stroking, especially when approaching the lower part (genitals), tail and paws.
• On the edge of the chin, there are sensitive hairs similar to a mustache - vibrissae. Touching them is undesirable and almost always elicits an aggressive response.
• Not every dog can be stroked against the grain, such manipulations can be unpleasant. But some individuals like it.

How to pet a dog properly

Each dog is individual, to find out what he likes is possible only in practice. Many of the pets tend to endure unpleasant caresses only out of love for their own owners. However, if the animal is satisfied with the tactile contact that is taking place, then by its appearance this is quite understandable (pulls the muzzle by the hand, substitutes the barrel, etc.).

If the dog likes petting, then by its appearance it is well understandable

Touching certain areas of the body is liked by almost all members of the canine tribe:

• between the auricles or just behind them;
• sides of the body;
• the area between the eyes from the nose to the forehead, but not touching the sensitive hairs ("eyelashes");
• chest and neck;
• chin, excluding its very edge.

You need to iron smoothly, gently and softly, you can lightly scratch the selected place. In this case, one should carefully observe the response of the ward. If he tries to shrink, evade, turn away, is nervous or obediently looks down, then it is better to stop all manipulations immediately.

Our dog loved it very much when its ears were ruffled, and even better, it was scratched inside the auricle. Although there were no ticks there (they checked repeatedly) and she herself never scraped them with her paws.

Video: how to pet a dog

The touch should be mutually supportive and enjoyable for both parties. By learning how to stroke your pet correctly, you can establish closer contact with him.