When we start lapsing in our petting speed or rubbing veracity, the dogs notice. As such, they may communicate that they want more petting by pushing us with their paws.
Dogs push you away when you pet them because they are just playing with you or asking you to stop. They may also be asking for more attention, mimicking your petting, or you may just be hitting a feel-good petting spot that triggers their reflexes.
Others claim that dogs pushing during petting can be a subconscious reaction. Much like we make noises unintentionally or have a reflexive action to certain stimulus, dogs may have the same thing!
If the dog constantly rolls over around dinner time, potty time, or walk time – that is a strong indication that this behavior is associated with a request. The paw is an extra add to ensure you understand what your dog wants!Tags
You can figure out whether or not this is a reflex-based on how your dog’s other limbs respond. Oftentimes, all of the limbs will stretch, only the limb you are scratching closest to will stretch, or limbs will stretch in pairs.
It Could be a Playful or Happy Gesture
A dog pushes you when you give belly rubs, so it could just simply be a playful gesture your dog is exhibiting. There are other signs you want to check for such as if your dog is relaxed and open towards you.
If you notice that your dog is bowing, this is also a sign that he wants to play and is trying to instigate play sessions with you or someone else. His tail might also be wagging and there might be playful barks to also tell you he wants to play.
Story #1 – Dog Stiff-arms Me
I can usually head over to my dog and give him a belly rub whenever I say a command like “who wants a belly rub”. When do I rub his belly, he occasionally gives me the “stiff-arm”. You will see what I mean if you search up what a stiff arm is in football. I am not sure if I should take this as a sign that he isn’t enjoying a belly rub or if him pushing me away with his paws is just a natural reaction to a dog getting comfortable or wanting to give me better access. Dogs wouldn’t turn over and present their bellies if they didn’t like it right?
Why does my dog push me away when I hug her?
If your dog has been pushing you with its feet, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my dog push me with its feet? Likely reasons why your dog pushes you with its feet are that it has learned that the behavior is rewarded, it wants you to stop touching it, it is playing or that it does it naturally.
There are actually a number of possible causes and they will depend a lot on the context that your dog does it. However, there are some things you can do about the behavior and there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause.