Mary Allen
Does your dog occasionally “tap” you with his paw? That’s really what’s behind it.
Dogs have a variety of methods of sending out certain signals through their body language. (You can find the most important ones in this article: Dog Language – This Is What Your Dog Really Means.)
These signals can be directed at conspecifics as well as at human attachment figures. But while other dogs can easily interpret these signals, humans don’t always interpret them correctly. Dogs are therefore looking for ways to make themselves understood. A possible form of communication of the animal is the way it handles its paw.
Dominant behavior
Especially when two male dogs meet, you can often see how one dog puts a paw on the other’s back. In some cases, he also tries to hold down his conspecifics. This is a classic example of one of the two animals wanting to show itself as a superior animal.
Such an action can also come from the animal in the interaction between man and dog. In this case, the dog rests both paws on the human’s thighs or lap. Such behavior may indicate that the human is not recognized as the pack leader. It is possible that in this case, it is not about the popular “giving a paw”. It could instead be a sign that the dog is ranking itself higher than it might want.
Desire for attention
However, the dominant behavior between the dog and the human described above is not the norm. Dogs use their paws much more often to get people’s attention.
One can often observe how the animal sits in front of the human, but the human pays no attention to it. In order to provoke a reaction, the dog often puts a paw on the human’s knee or draws it over the leg or over the arm. It doesn’t matter whether the person is interested in a friendly way or reacts dismissively: the dog has achieved its goal because any attention is better than not being noticed at all.
Trained behavior
One of the first obedience exercises trained with dogs is often the simple “gimme your paw”. The animal is supposed to put its paw in the open hand of the human at a simple command. It’s an exercise that almost any dog will pick up quickly, especially if they expect a reward afterward.
Dogs are only too willing to give their paws for praise, a lot of stroking, or, best of all, for a small treat. Sometimes the animals learn this so well that at every convenient and inconvenient time they want to perform this little trick to get their treat.
In order not to overfeed the animal and, above all, not to give up control, a treat should only be given if the dog has given its paw on command. If he thought it was time for another treat, he should get nothing.
Gesture of appeasement
The animals also use the lifting of their paws as a soothing gesture both when communicating with other species and with humans. Dogs are very good at reading their human mood. With this gesture, they want to ward off any anger or anger of the pack leader. In conjunction with other body signals, this gesture can also be interpreted as a sign of subservience.
As you can see, dogs have a variety of different communication options. Interpreting these correctly and reacting to them appropriately is the task of humans, who thereby make the coexistence of humans and animals much easier and more pleasant for both sides.