If your dog seems to suddenly become more sensitive than usual about its paws, it is possible that something has happened to your dog’s paws. In this case, they may favor certain paws over others, avoid you, or panic when you try to check their paws. Even if your dog is resisting, you should still check for cuts, scrapes, sores, or obvious signs that your dog is injured. If you are unable to find something, the problem could be a bone or joint problem, in which case you should take your dog to the vet. Even if something tiny is stuck between their paws, or caught underneath the nail sheath, your dog might be in a considerable amount of pain.
Dogs are unique creatures, and different breeds have developed their feet and paws differently over the ages. Some dogs, especially sighthounds like Greyhounds, are at risk of developing foot corns, which are extremely hard and painful areas of skin. Other dogs may have allergies or skin conditions that make their paws extra sensitive. These problems may gradually develop, and you may only realize that there is a problem after watching your dog lick its feet compulsively. Learning your own dog’s boundaries with its feet is important in understanding what may or may not be going on with your dog. After all, like humans, some dogs are just ticklish on their feet!
If you have taught your dog the “shake” command, then you have felt the tough, leathery underside of your dog’s paws plenty of times. It is hard not to be fascinated by these built-in shoes, and it doesn’t seem to bother most dogs if you lightly touch the padded bottoms. They are in contact with the ground almost all the time, after all. Yet inevitably, when it comes to nail trimming, your dog’s paws suddenly become off-limits. Most owners will notice that this paw sensitivity extends to the tops of a dog’s paws too. Even touching your dog’s feet might make them uncomfortable. If you are wondering why your dog is so sensitive about its feet, here are some reasons why your dog might want you to keep your paws to yourself.
A dog’s paws are responsible for delivering a wide range of sensory information to the dog about its environment. Some dogs might resist you touching their paws simply because it makes them feel awkward or vulnerable. While the leathery bottoms are padded to withstand changing terrain and temperatures, the tops are among the most sensitive parts of a dog’s body. The spaces in between the paw pads are even more sensitive than the tops, and trying to get in-between your dog’s paw pads might provoke a serious reaction. Paw sensitivity seems to be universal among dogs, although some dogs have stronger adverse reactions than others.
In some cases, a dog may have negative associations with having its paws handled. This is especially true if your dog has ever experienced injury during nail trimming, or if your dog has a problem with its paws or nails that causes it pain. The circumstances of trimming a dog’s nails are unpleasant for dogs. Oftentimes, you have to restrain them and apply pressure to one of the most sensitive regions of their body, and a lot could go wrong. Nicking a dog’s paw even a little bit can cause them immense pain. Once they experience that pain, your dog may forever resist having its paws handled. This can be problematic, since letting a dog’s nails get too long can also cause them pain. It is up to you to be aware of the condition of your dog’s paws and nails, and determine what course of action is best.
By getting upset when you touch his front paws, your dog might be interpreting your behavior as being an “alpha” one. Whether youre attempting just to pet his paws or to trim his too-long nails, your pet might perceive your paw-touching action as a display of social status, and in turn might make a big show of expressing to you that he objects to it and wont stand for it. He might even think of it as being an attack — definitely not your intention.
If your pooch loves being cuddled but acts annoyed every time you touch his front paws, then hes certainly not alone in his behavior. A lot of dogs get extremely touchy when it comes to the idea of their feet being in another individuals hands, literally. This often is fine and dandy — until nail trimming time inevitably comes around. Of course, if its a new problem, make sure your furbuddy hasnt injured his paws.
Dogs tend to be highly tactile in their interactions with fellow canines, whether theyre playing together or simply greeting one another. Although they might do a lot of touching, you might also notice that they usually keep away from feet. Not only do they generally abstain from touching others feet, they also usually abstain from smelling them, too. Disliking having their paws touched might just be an instinctive doggie characteristic. Dont take your pets dislike of it personally.
If your dog gets a little testy when you touch his front paws, it could be because you do so abruptly and out of nowhere. Canines are naturally protective about their paws. After all, dogs in the wild often dont stand much of a chance once their paws are wounded — and this apprehension transfers to lots of modern dogs, as well. By putting your hands on your dogs quickly, you might just be startling the poor thing — and creating a negative, frightening association with the action as a result.
Your dog might be irritable about contact with his feet because of all of the sensory components that are contained within them. Dogs paw pads consist of nerves that communicate with oscillations. These are useful for enabling canines to figure out the firmness of terrain for traveling over it, often for running. The spots in the middle of their paw pads feature uber-delicate nerve tips that also might contribute to their deep dislike of their feet being handled by others. In short, dogs often feel uncomfortable — and awkward — when people go near their paws, either front or back.
Step 2: Assess the Issue
If we don’t know where your dog’s issue starts, we won’t know if what we’re doing is working.
Start out by keeping track of your dog’s issues for at least a week. When does he get upset about handling? What were you doing? What else was going on nearby? What did he do?
For example:
June 24, 2019: Fluffy allowed me to clip his leash on for our 7:30am walk no problem. It was quiet in the house (everyone else was asleep). I picked up his leash and he came over. I reached under his neck and clipped it on. But when I went to take his leash off, he growled at me. It was 8:00am and we’d returned from our walk. Jojo, the neighbor’s dog, was barking at us. I pulled Fluffy into the house and was talking to Ted about dinner plans. I reached for Fluffy’s collar, grabbed it, and rotated it upwards to unclip the leash. When I reached in with a second hand, he lifted his lips and growled. His eyes were really big.
If you keep a journal like this, you’re likely to identify some patterns. Do you see the difference between the 7:30am and 8:00am collar grabs? Why do you think Fluffy was OK with the earlier collar grab, but not the 8:00am one?
It’s also time to consider getting help from a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant. Some handling issues are easy to work through – but many are not. Check our aggression scoresheet to see how your dog stacks up.
If you feel like your dog might bite or needs a muzzle for safe training, get help!
My Dog Won’t Let Me Touch His Paws(Counter Conditioning)
The dog, man’s best friend, is our four-legged best buddy. We have to take great care of our dogs mentally and physically. So what are some reasons why your faithful pet won’t let you touch his or her paws, and what can we do to fix the issue? You might need to seek out the help of a dog behaviorist near Fredericksburg VA.
So why does your dog not want their paws touched? It’s not necessarily anything that you’ve done wrong. Paws are sensitive and give the dog a lot of information about their environment. That sensitivity triggers the dog’s instinct to protect themselves. It’s also possible that the dog has had a bad nail trimming experience or one of their paws was hurt at some point.
Our hands are filled with nerve endings. The same goes for our dog’s paws. Dogs use their paws for a number of tasks that benefit their everyday life such as:
Since all of these tasks require a dog to use its paws, its no wonder that they can be so sensitive to being touched. However, being able to effectively touch your dog’s paws without having to tussle with them is a must. You may need to look into hiring a dog behaviorist near Fredericksburg VA to help your dog overcome the fear they have over someone touching their paws. In fact, utilizing dog training Spotsylvania Va dog owners trust with the well-being of their pets can be an effective move for you and your sweet pooch.
Professional dog training Stafford VA, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania VA dog owners are known to turn to might be how you need to help your dog. The trainer uses specific methods to train your dog to not shy away from a person when touching their paws for any reason. The following are techniques they might use:
A dog behaviorist near Fredericksburg VA might also use these same techniques to guide your dog to a more submissive attitude when it comes to touching his paws. It’s important to get to the root of why the dog doesn’t want his or her paws touched.
Conditioning a dog to not pull away or bite when you touch their paws can be extremely difficult. Trying to do so yourself can be frustrating and could possibly result in you getting bitten. Calling a dog behaviorist near Fredericksburg VA is an investment, but it’s one that can reduce struggles that you and your dog have or could have. One of the most heart-wrenching things is when a dog bites its owner or, worse, someone else. Biting someone else can lead to legal issues and the dog being put down.
Because of the potential risk that exists when a dog doesn’t like their paws touched, dog training in Stafford Va can be the answer to reducing those risks. Any time you mitigate an issue, you prevent future challenges like having to deal with a bite victim’s injuries or even dealing with your own. Nonetheless, it’s not always about risks but about your dog’s well-being.
If your dog has an aversion to having his or her paws touched, Wag Ur Tail Dog Training can help. Our behavioral consulting service will get to the bottom of what is going on and help your dog feel better about their paws being touched. Call us today at 540-324-3518.