Have you ever wondered if dogs like to be patted? Each dog will have different preferences when it comes to petting.
Think about physical contact with your dog. It sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Well, the thing about touching a dog is that it can turn out to be messy.
This is especially if a dog is not willing to engage in physical contact with you.
In this article, I am going to talk about petting a dog extensively.
I want to look at the dos and don ts of petting a dog, as well as the response to expect from him.
Do dogs like to be patted?
Can I pat my dog as a way to pet him?
Each dog will have different preferences when it comes to petting. Your dog could like being touched at a particular spot while another one will not like it.
Therefore, to appropriately pet a dog, I think it is a matter of watching his response. How does your dog respond to patting?
However, patting is probably not the best approach to petting a dog. This is especially if you just met the dog.
If your dog is comfortable with you petting him, he will stay still. He may also start wiggling his tail as it makes him feel good.
However, if he is not up for it, your dog will walk away.
This begs the question; how do you pet a dog?
I could give you a million answers to this question. And later in this article, I am also going to discuss several tips for appropriate petting.
If your dog adores you, you can stand you patting him for several minutes and he might walk away from you.
As a result, you must monitor his response to your touch. If he seems a little bit bothered, you should probably leave him alone. It probably doesn’t feel as good as you think it does.
Mistakes to avoid when patting a dog
I have come across so many dog owners asking me how to properly pet a dog. Well, this article will outline everything you need to know about dog petting.
Before I proceed to what dogs like and what they don’t, I would like to talk about the mistakes to avoid. These include:
Petting a strange dog
Dogs are nothing less but adorable. When you see your friend’s puppy, all you want to do is hold him and pet him.
However, this is the initial mistake you must avoid. I mean, even when you bring a dog home, you cannot begin physical contact.
You need to earn trust from any dog you meet before you reach out to them. In fact, I always advise people to let the dog initiate physical contact first.
When you first meet a dog, you need to appear as friendly as possible. Do not walk up to them and bed over to pet them.
The first thing you must know is that you are a total stranger to him. Instead, you must take it down a notch a little bit.
Well, to approach a new dog, you should get down to his level. Standing tall while facing him can appear as threatening to him.
So will bending over seem like. You may extend your hand out towards him and wait for his response.
If a dog is welcoming you for physical contact, he might start by sniffing all over your hand and will be relaxed.
Thus, you must observe the dog’s body language to know whether it is safe to pet them or not. However, I advise against petting stray dogs as they could be aggressive.
Forced socialization
So, you recently got a puppy and you cannot wait to show him off to your friends. While you are proud of owning him, you could also be putting him through so much.
You cannot let everybody meet everyone at once.
Dogs should be socialized from an early age.
While at it, you must start small and be gradual about socializing your dog with other people and even dogs.
However, should you force him to be around people or dogs he is not comfortable around, then you will have some problems.
Now, we all know that dogs are very sociable creatures.
Despite this, they all have unique personalities. I suggest you take some time and discover your pup’s preferences.
This is the part where you need to understand dog body language. Does he seem nervous around your friends?
Maybe he is not ready for that situation. If at all your friends will want to hang out with your dog, then you should teach your friends to approach your dog.
It is important that you learn the proper introduction techniques.
Do not allow strangers or people unknown to your dog to pet him. It could lead to aggression or anxiety issues in your pup.
Once again, if your dog appears uncomfortable around certain persons, they are probably not ready for socialization yet. Do not force it.
Not knowing your dog’s tickle spots
So, do dogs like to be pet? Absolutely. Dogs adore it when we pet them. The trick is to understand your dog’s tickle spots.
Where does he like being a pet? Once again, dogs will have different preferences when it comes to tickle spots.
However, it all goes back to the kind of relationship you share with your dog. For instance, a new dog may not enjoy being touched on the face.
At the same time, once you gain his trust, he might stand it when you touch him on the face. In fact, this could mean that he completely trusts and loves you.
In the beginning, you can touch or pet behind his neck, or under the chin. However, he might still be a little reluctant to let you touch his face.
Some dogs enjoy soft strokes on top of their heads. The key to understanding your dog’s tickle place is by observing his body language.
Keeping your dog on a tight leash
Dogs will use body language to communicate. You can tell if your dog is nervous by simply monitoring its behavior.
And since they are very good at communicating their needs, they are also very good at studying our body language.
For instance, your dog will interpret a tight leash to mean that you are tense. This will automatically change his mood as well.
His stress levels will be higher and he will be so alert. Besides, a tight leash is uncomfortable and your dog can retaliate against you.
At the same time, I would like to insist that you must portray calm body language when petting a dog.
They will read and react to what you are feeling. For instance, if your dog feels nervous or at the slightest threatened by you, he will react.
If your dog has developed a habit of pulling the leash while on walks, I suggest you step up and train him to walk on heels.
The good thing about owning a dog is that you can always train him to curb certain habits.
Teasing a dog
This is probably the most common mistake most people do. A good example is when people emulate their dog’s barking.
Well, they’re dogs and therefore allowed to bark. It is how they communicate. However, when we bark at them, they do not understand what we mean.
Teasing your dog like that is very annoying and some dogs result in biting or nipping as a way to retaliate.
On the other hand, petting a dog is supposed to be fun.
Both you and your dog are supposed to enjoy spending time together as you run your hands through his fur.
How to properly pet a dog
Now, I have been speaking about whether dogs like to be patted.
I have already answered this question but dogs do love and they appreciate social interactions with their human owners.
However, to properly pet a dog, you need to be aware of a few things.
For instance, you must know where your dog enjoys being pet. Note that not every dog you meet is going to be comfortable with human contact.
Some dogs, and especially stray dogs, may not enjoy contact with humans at first.
Thus, besides being patient, I am going to talk about how to appropriately pet a dog.
Ensure that the dog is comfortable with physical contact
As have previously mentioned, not all dogs are comfortable, or even familiar with human contact.
Therefore, you should probably find out if the dog you want to pet likes to be touched.
If it is your first time you are meeting the dog, then you must introduce yourself to him properly.
Also, make sure that the dog is aware of your presence before you touch him. You must know that dogs dislike being startled.
In fact, I know of dog owners who have been bitten for startling their dog owners. It is, therefore, appropriate to approach a dog from ahead.
You should not start petting your dog when he is sleeping.
If we are talking about a completely new dog, then you should ensure that the dog is calm and relaxed before you touch them.
Go for the chest area
Different dogs will have different preferences when it comes to petting. Some dogs will enjoy soft strokes on the head while others will have you for that.
However, most dogs love it when we pet them around the chest area.
Once again, you can only touch your dog when he wants to. This means that the dog will be the one to initiate physical contact.
When you approach your dog to pet him and he walks away, he probably doesn’t feel like it, and you should leave him alone.
However, if you have already established a bond with your dog, you can now start petting him. Make it an enjoyable experience to encourage him.
Go for his chest area where you can give him gentle strokes. It is much more effective when you talk to him and shower him with praise in the process.
If your dog does not seem to like physical contact as much, you should introduce petting slowly and gradually.
For instance, make sure that he can comfortably rest beside you. When you start stroking him, watch his response.
This way, you will finally understand what works for your dog and what doesn’t.
Avoid touching his vulnerable areas at the beginning
Whether you just met your dog or you want to pet a strange dog, you should always remember one thing: dogs enjoy different types of contact.
Therefore, ask his owner about his favorite tickle spots. At the same time, watch the dog’s reaction to touch.
Now, where do you touch your dog so as to pet him? There could be many different answers if you asked dog owners this question.
However, I know what you must avoid, especially if you are new to this dog.
A strange or new dog might let you bet him at the back of their heads. However, touching his face and ears might be too much to ask.
Most dogs will allow only people they fully trust to touch them on the face.
However, once a dog gets used to you, he will allow you to touch and pet his face. It is actually a very good way to bond with him.
Also, do not be too quick to extend your hand for petting when your dog rolls over in front of you. While most dogs enjoy belly rubs, not always will it be an invitation.
Watch his body language to see if he is happy and not nervous.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a dog will enjoy different forms of petting.
Patting is not exactly an enjoyable way of petting a dog.
They tend to enjoy gentle handling such as stroking and rubbing on them. However, the key to petting a dog is learning its body language.
Watching a dog’s response to the way you handle him will let you in on his tickle spots.
