It is well known that most dogs are cuddly, companionable and very friendly animals. They usually love spending time with their families, meeting new people on the street while taking a walk and, the more sociable their personalities are, the more they tend to stay close to the humans of their life.
In this sense, one of the things that they enjoy the most about spending time with humans is the possibility of being pet: there’s nothing like a warm, soft stroke to make your dog happy, healthy and joyful. But have you ever thought about why dogs like being pet as much as they do? What is it about caresses that make them so cheerful? The fact is that there are many different reasons why dogs like to be pet, and we will tell you more about it here!
It’s all about the energy
When dogs are pet, they feel connected and close to humans, and this is something that is definitely very important for their development due to the social behavior that’s natural to most of them. Petting a dog is a way of transmitting a feeling of closeness and sharing your energy with them. What you can transmit and share with dogs through your soft and gentle petting are feelings of love, caring, comfort and attention.
Does it happen to you that you get a wonderful, warm and cozy feeling when you hug someone you love? Well, that’s also the same kind of feelings and sensations that dogs feel when you pet them! This energy-sharing aspect of petting and stroking dogs is one of the reasons why they like being pet as much as they do.
Petting and emotional bonding
There’s no better way to build a solid and strong emotional bond with dogs than dedicating quality time to pet them. As we mentioned before, petting is a way of transmitting your caring and loving energy to dogs and, while doing this, you are also developing a connection with them.
The same way that you build relationships with other human beings through closeness and physical touch, you also create emotional bonds with dogs through petting them and caressing them. For dogs, it’s very important to get a feeling of physical proximity with the humans that surround them, as a way of forging trust and bonds that will last a lifetime.
Feeling safe and secure
When you pet your dog, you are also transmitting a sense of safety and security. In fact, touching them makes them feel like you really care for them, that you are present, and that they can trust you. It’s also a great way of making them feel confident about your connection and your relationship to them.
In this sense, an essential thing to understand is that it’s very unlikely that your dog will feel anxious or depressed if you are attentive to them and pet them regularly. As with humans, physical contact and closeness is very important for dogs’ mental health and stability, and a lack of touch and proximity can lead to feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety. That’s why we say that, when you take care of petting your dog, you are also contributing to transmitting a sense of safety and security to it, thus contributing to its overall wellbeing and happiness.
Contributing to your dog’s health and wellbeing
All in all, as we have mentioned here, when you pet your dog, you are contributing to ensure its health and wellbeing. By transmitting good energy, building emotional bonds and providing them with a feeling of safety and security you are making sure that your dog will grow strong, happy and healthy.
Scientifically and physically speaking, a dog that is regularly pet with care, love and attention will be benefited by an increase in oxytocin and endorphins, lowering of blood pressure and heart rate, and an overall feeling of stability and wellbeing.
Are there wrong ways or right ways of petting a dog?
At a first glance, petting a dog doesn’t seem like a complex thing to do. But there are ways that are better and ways that are worse. The fact is that there are different ways in which you can pet your dog.
Now that you know a bit more about why dogs like being pet as much as they do and all the benefits that this has for them, we will tell you more about the ways in which you can pet a dog. Paying attention and being aware of this is very important to make the most out of all the amazing benefits that stroking and caressing has for dogs.
So, are there actually wrong ways or right ways of petting a dog? Yes, indeed there are. Actually, the fact is that there are several wrong ways in which dogs can be pet. Even though every single dog is unique and has its own personality and particularities, there are a few things to consider about petting which are mostly common for practically all of the dogs.
Pay attention to what the dog transmits
First and foremost, the key thing to take into account is the following: never pet a dog that does not want to be pet. It’s true that, as we have explained before, most of them will enjoy it because they are social and friendly animals by nature. But it’s very important that you are especially careful with the dogs that you are not familiar with, because you never know what they like and what they don’t like in terms of stroking and petting.
A good piece of advice for knowing how to handle these situations is to always let the dog take the lead. If you pay attention, you’ll see that dogs permanently give signs and cues about how they are feeling. If the dog approaches you and comes near you, then it’s a good sign that it wants to be pet. But be aware if it doesn’t: it may be a sign that it is not willing to be pet. What you can always do if this is the case is either wait to see if the dog initiates contact after a while, or slowly and very softly come close to it yourself and, for example, offer the dog a treat or let it sniff your hand carefully.
It’s all about body language
As we have mentioned, dogs are communicating with us permanently through signs and cues, and knowing how to interpret these signals is very important for building solid bonds and healthy relationships with them.
A very easy way to tell whether the dog is enjoying the petting and is happy is by looking at its ears. Usually, when the ears are held backwards in a relaxed way, you can know that the dog is comfortable. Moreover, if you can see that, in general, the dog’s body looks loose and relaxed, it also means that it’s happy to be pet by you.
Be aware if you see that the dog looks tense or anxious, or if it yawns a lot: these might be signs that it’s not feeling happy and it’s not enjoying the petting
Knowing how to do the right moves
In general, dogs feel more comfortable and happier when the stroking and petting is done with repetitive, gentle movements. Moreover, another tip that we can give you is to move your hands and fingers in the same direction as the fur of the dog: this is said to be therapeutic and relaxing for them.
Always pay attention to take it easy and gently when petting your dog, and never be too tough when you pat him. Regarding the places in which dogs usually tend to prefer to be petted, we suggest that you focus on its shoulders, their neck and the chest. On the other hand, there are a few spots that are a definite “no” when it comes to petting dogs, and these are most commonly the paws, legs or tail
Of course, each dog has its own preferences according to its personality but, overall, these are the things that most of the dogs prefer. Nevertheless, as mentioned before, always pay attention to the dog’s signals and body language: it’s the best way of getting to know where and how they prefer to be pet, and which are the things that they do not enjoy.
To sum up, there are many different reasons and explanations as to why dogs like to be pet as much as they do, and why this is also so important for their health, development and wellbeing. Even though most of the dogs will be happy and enjoy being pet, having an idea of why this is essential for them can help you further strengthen your emotional bonding with your dog and with other dogs you may encounter. As the popular saying goes, “dogs are a man’s best friend” and, as such, they surely deserve the best treatment that we can give them. What are your experiences with this? Let us know in the comments!
