Many of us love to pet dogs anytime and everytime we see one. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing or how busy we are, you see a floof, you pet a floof. While humans petting dogs is very common, what if we turn the tables and have the doggo pet us for a change? That might seem extremely out of the ordinary for some new dog parents. Some floof-owners might even start to panic a little wondering whether their pup is reaching out to them out of love or stress. 

Luckily, we’re here to decode the ‘why do dogs put their paws on you?’ question and put your mind at ease. If you ever find yourself in a situation where your pet is putting their paw on you, don’t panic. You just have to keep calm and look at the cues. Keep reading to find out!

Cues to look for when your dog puts their paws on you

• Tail Wags: The first thing to look at, when your furry friend puts their paws on you, is their tail. See if it’s moving like a happy or an excited wag. If it is, then this whole paws-on-you situation is a way of your doggo to show you affection. Love has no fixed language, right? If the tail wag is not excited like you usually see it to be, then it should alert you. Your pooch is probably reaching out to you regarding something. Maybe they’re hungry or they need to go out and attend to their nature calls. 

• Line of sight: The second aspect to look at is their line of sight. If they’re focused only on you, then it’s a good thing. They’re just trying to love you back. However, if they look at you and then at something else, then you will also have to shift your attention there. For example, if your floof looks at you and then looks at the door, they definitely want to be let out of the room. Looking for contextual cues is the best way to decipher what your furry friend needs at the moment. 

• Digging: We have all witnessed some crazy amount of digging from our four-legged friends. If your pooch is slapping their paw on you and then proceeding to dig your couch or their bed until it threatens to tear open, then there’s just a lot of energy pent up in your dog. It usually means that your floof is all fired up with energy and needs to release it out. You could take him for a walk or if you’re busy then just make sure there are no fragile items within your pet’s immediate reach. Another result of excessive couch-digging could be that your doggo sniffed something delicious in the couch, that we humans are physically-incapable of smelling. Apart from being incredibly cute, our furry friends also possess superior olfactory senses. 

Conclusion

These cues can be used for other questions such as ‘Why do dogs put one paw up’ or ‘Why do dogs scratch couches and carpets’. These cues are very common amongst dogs. Don’t beat yourself up for not recognizing the cues right away, new pet-parents need to familiarise themselves with the way dogs communicate. If you have any other queries related to our furry friends, feel free to let us know. We’ll do our best to make your journey with your pup, a special one.