Dogs have outstanding personalities; they are loyal and can cheer up their owners. If you have a dog, you will love to socialize with it and pet it. However, it can be worrying if your dog runs away or growls when you try to touch its feet. Whether your dog is mature enough or just a puppy, understanding why it behaves in such a manner is essential to being a responsible parent for your pet and enhancing its emotional well-being.
The top seven reasons why dogs don’t like their paws touched are:
1. Paws Are Very Sensitive
Dogs’ paws have several nerve endings that send touch signals to the nervous system, which makes them sensitive to touch. Due to their sensitivity, whenever you touch your dog’s paws, it can be ticklish.
The feeling may be uncomfortable, itchy, or even irritating to the skin.
2. Paws Are Essential For a Dog’s Survival
In the wild, dogs use their paws to hunt for food, for self-grooming and defense, and to get a stable grip as they walk on different surfaces and terrains. Paws are also responsible for delivering a wide range of sensory information to the dog about the environment.
As defense instincts apply to all dogs both in the wild and in captivity, most dogs will often protect their paws from injury for survival purposes. Hence, it should not be surprising if your dog withdraws its paws when you try to pet it.
3. Health Issues
A dog is likely to show some resistance to touch if it has health issues affecting its paws.
A dog’s paws can become sensitive to touch due to:
- Injuries from insect bites, cuts, broken toenails, or burns.
- Bacterial infections, which is signaled by redness on the pads, chipped skin, or hair loss.
- The presence of hair mats between toes, which can cause pain.
- Parasites such as ticks and mites stay between your dog’s toes.
4. Negative Past Experience
A dog won’t enjoy nail trimming if it has had a negative experience with grooming in the past where it got injured. The dog will associate paw touching with painful grooming, and it’s likely to withdraw its paws if you touch it.
5. Dogs Feel Vulnerable When You Touch Their Paws
Dogs need all four feet to keep their balance. Lifting their paws automatically puts them off balance, which will make your dog feel vulnerable and insecure.
6. Touch Confuses Your Dog
In the wild, dogs are not used to touching each other’s paws, as they consider them important parts that should be protected from injury.
Hence, when you try to touch its paws, your dog goes through a new and confusing experience that it doesn’t acknowledge.
7. Your Dog Is Not Used to Physical Touch
A puppy that is not used to being touched is likely to growl when you touch its paws. You should slowly introduce your pet to touch in order for the dog to accept it.
Is It OK When My Dog Tries to Bite Me When I Touch His Paws?
No, it’s not OK for dogs to bite when you touch them. Usually, the biting occurs when your dog is afraid or in pain.
Due to their sensitive nature, touching a dog’s paws will make it desire to protect its crucial body parts from harm. Thus, your dog is likely to bite you when you touch it since it assumes you are trying to harm it.
It’s good to investigate and get to know the reason why your dog bites when you pet it for immediate action. If you determine that your dog is in pain, have it checked for any paw or leg injuries.
But if your dog is biting as a result of fear, slowly introduce it to touch to prevent the biting.
How Do I Get My Dog Used to His Paws Being Touched?
1. Early Introduction to Touch
Accustom your dog to paw touching when it is still young. Early training is very progressive, as the dog easily learns the new tricks. Your dog will perceive touching its paws as a way of interacting and will not retrieve them when you pet him.
2. Make Nail Trimming Enjoyable
Make nail trimming a pleasant experience by using the most appropriate tools for trimming and taking great care to avoid accidental cuts. Give your dog a treat when it behaves well during the process, so it will associate trimming with good things.
3. Attend to Health Issues In Time
Ensure that your dog’s paws are in good health and treat any issue that can make them extremely sensitive in good time.
Regular visits to your veterinarian are recommended for checkups to discover medical issues earlier.
Additionally, ensure that your dog stays in a comfortable and clean environment to protect it from parasitic infestations.
4. Don’t Force Your Dog to Allow Touching
Each dog has its own personality, and not all will love to be touched at all. Hence, don’t force your dog to allow you to touch its paws, as it can lead to a loss of trust in the pet and even aggression.
5. Gradual Petting
First, pet the places your dog likes, and then slowly work down its legs and paws. This will help your dog understand that no harm is intended.
6. Use Positive Reinforcement
Praise your dog or reward it with its favorite treat if it lets you pet its paws.
What Does It Mean When a Dog Let’s You Touch Their Paws?
Many dogs don’t remain calm when you touch their paws. Touching them makes them uncomfortable and can even trigger biting.
However, if your dog lets you touch it, it means that:
1. Your dog is extending contact and reciprocating affection.
2. It’s seeking attention or interaction with you.
3. You have gained your dog’s trust, and the two of you are well connected.
4. The dog is well trained. You can feel the dog’s paws if you have taught it the shake command.
Are Dogs Front Paws More Sensitive Than Back Paws?
No, the dog’s front paws are not more sensitive than the back paws. Both paws are sensitive and will make the dog uncomfortable when touched.
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