We all know that dogs don’t talk like people. However, they can still communicate to us through their behavior, body language and barking. The key to understanding what they are saying is taking the time to study and pay attention to how they communicate. When a dog wraps their paws around a person’s arm, they are saying something. To find out what pawing means, let’s take a closer look at what this action denotes.
Reasons behind dog wrapping his paws around your arm
1. Dogs use their Paws for Affection
Dogs use their paws when they want affection from other canines or from you. Dog owners, you must understand that dogs want affection just like people. Some dogs might want it more than others, but the sentiment is all the same for canines across the board.
Sooner or later they are going to paw you for this purpose. Dogs want to be touched, loved and petted. This is just a part of their makeup and they are intelligent enough creatures to want this sentiment.
2. Sometimes Dogs Like to Play Using their Paws and to do Tricks
Sometimes your dog will paw you because you taught them how to. Remember, some dog owners will teach their dog how to “shake hands” and how to use their paws to “hi-five”. Sometimes, an owner will teach their dog how to “slap hands” or slap their paw against their hand. If you have been teaching your dog this trick, don’t be surprised if they do it on their own.
Some dogs will just naturally take this action when they want to keep practicing the trick or use it as another means to communicate with you. Don’t forget that dogs often play with their paws they do this as a normal instinct when they are playing around.
3. Hungry Dogs will Often use their Paws to get their Masters Attention
Pet experts also inform us that dogs will sometimes use their paws to show that they’re hungry. They might not always do this but every now and then. However, they will use their paw to move their dog bowl or touch their bag of dog food. Canines often take these actions because they’re hungry and are trying to get your attention.
4. Scarred Dogs will Sometimes use their Paws to Convey this Feeling
Sometimes your dog will paw you when they’re scared. This instinct is one of the things they use to get your attention when something is bothering them. If they are scared of loud noise or another pet, dogs will take this action. They will also take this action when they don’t want to do something that makes them afraid.
The key to understanding if a dog is pawing you out of fear, is to examine his body language. If your pock looks mad or excited, clearly something is wrong. If they seem agitated or angry then you should know something is off. Just remember dogs will use their paws to tell you what is happening, and you should determine what the problem is.
5. Dogs want to get your Attention
Dogs are attention seekers. They are creatures who soak up attention. They will always want to be at the center of attention whenever they can. Dogs are very responsive to attention. Many dogs want their owners to notice them and to spend time with them.
They will beg, bother and sometimes even whine when they want you to notice them. Dogs will use their paws to get you to interact with them. They might wrap them around your arm or touch your leg. The main thing is that they want to get you to be with them when they need your companionship.
6. Stressed Pets will use their Paws to Communicate their Condition
Sometimes, you can look at your pet’s paw activity to gauge their mental health. Dogs often use their paws as a means to show that something is wrong. Stressed pets can’t tell you that they’re stressed, but their paws can. Remember, pets often communicate through their paws.
A stressed dog can bend their paw to let you know that something is wrong, or they can use their paws to let you know they’re feeling down. Stressed pets will act out in different ways and using their paws to inform you of their condition is just one way they take this action.
7. Your Dog Might Try to Dominate you with their Paws
While most dog training experts agree that a dog normally doesn’t paw owners to dominate them; this behavior can happen. Dogs generally like to follow their masters. Still, there are some dogs who just don’t like to fall in line. So, they will try to usurp their pet parent’s authority. Some dogs might use their paws to defy their owner.
They can do this by continuously wrapping their paws around their pet owner’s arms. They can constantly do this when their owner is trying to teach them something or get them to do something. Ultimately, dog’s will generally try to dominate their owners in other ways and will rarely use their paws for this purpose.
8. Pawing is a Way for Dogs to say I’m Sorry
Have you ever noticed the behavior of your dog after you scolded or corrected them? They sometimes will use their paws to let you know that they are sorry. This is important for you to understand because your dog cannot speak those words, but they can show you through their behavior that they are sorry.
Sometimes they will use their paws to touch you for that purpose. They will let you know that they messed up and they will try to stop the bad behavior.
9. Pawing is Another way for Dogs to Get Something They Need
Finally, sometimes dogs will paw you to get something. That is what many canines do. They are no different from people who like to touch and nudge at others when they want something in return. This is just another way for a dog to let you know what they need and what is going on inside of their canine brains.
LEAVE A COMMENT