Amanda Teixeira
If your dog keeps putting his paw on your arm or leg, it’s for a reason. Read what this gesture means here.
Dogs communicate a lot through body language. You also use your paw for this: your dog constantly paws, puts its paw on your knee, pulls it over your leg or over your arm if it wants to tell you something. Find out here what this gesture means for your dog.
Attract attention
Dogs often use their paws to get their owner’s attention. If he puts his paw on you, be sure to respond. It doesn’t matter whether you pet him or react dismissively: you have given him attention. The dog has reached its goal.
However, your dog may want to draw attention to something specific with its paw. Maybe he’s hungry or wants to play? Every dog has to learn to spend a certain amount of time alone. But make sure he has everything he needs at all times.
Collect reward
Once the dog has learned the “Give a paw” trick, it has linked: If I stick out my paw, I get a reward. Your dog may now be actively asking for treats or pats by giving you his paw.
The dog should learn that he will only get the reward if he gives you his paw at your signal. Ignore him when he uses his paw to beg for a treat. He only gets the reward if he does it at your command.
Present dominance
A dog will also place its paw on members of its own kind to show that it is superior. Some dogs do this to their human too. Make sure your dog respects you. You can do this with the right dog training.
Appeasement gesture
Dogs recognize people’s feelings. If you are stressed, tense or angry, your dog will notice. He will use his paw to calm you down.
So it always depends on the situation what your dog wants to say with his paw. It is important that you know the real reason and respond to your dog accordingly.