Reasons why your dog grabs your legs
Below are a number of possible causes and what would make each of them more likely to be the main cause.
The reason why your dog does it could be that it is trying to get extra attention from you. This would be more likely if your dog does it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.
Another possible cause is that it is playing. This would be more likely if it does it when you move your legs while sat down or when walking. The way you move your legs and feet might appear to it to be similar to the way that prey moves which is why it attacks your legs.
Another possible cause is that it has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely to be the cause if your dog tends to do it more when you are leaving home and if it also shows signs of being anxious when you are leaving.
When dogs have not gotten much exercise, they will often look for ways to stimulate themselves. Another possible cause is that it is bored. This would be more likely to be the cause if your dog is from an active breed and if it tends to grab your legs before it has gotten exercise.
It might also be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats, or extra attention, when it grabs your legs, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards. Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want and to avoid rewarding it when it does not.
If you have not trained your dog not to nip you it might be the case that it has not learned that it is not ok to attack your legs. If you haven’t it would help to start training it by using the tips in the section below.
Things to consider about your dog grabbing your legs
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been grabbing your legs.
If your dog has not always grabbed your legs, it would help to consider what else happened when your dog first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it. If it did start doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior gets rewarded, getting less exercise, or a change in the way you interact with it.
If there is a certain time that your dog tends to grab your legs, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it tends to do it when you are leaving home, it might be the case that it has some separation anxiety.
How does my dog show me love?
Just like humans, dogs use snuggling to grow closer to others, so if your pet wants to cuddle they are probably feeling the love. “Gentle touching and nuzzling mimic maternal affection between puppies and their original dog moms.