Are dogs ticklish

It is difficult to resist and not scratch the soft and warm belly of your beloved dog! In most cases, scratching the abdomen causes the pet to twist and squirm with delight, and stroking certain points leads to a joyful twitching of the hind leg. Do dogs feel tickled?

Many pets respond positively to gentle stroking of their skin and coat with their fingers, but do they really like these sensations? Where are dogs ticklish?

Dog tickling: do pets feel it

Stanley Coren, Ph.D., Ph.D., FRC, reviewed the research and published a paper in Psychology Today. It says that the animals actually responded to being tickled and even laughed during the experiment, just like humans. But dog laughter is a little different from human laughter. Pets make a heavier, hoarse sound without barking, created by a slightly open mouth, reminiscent of a smile.

Dr. Marty Becker, MD from the clinic Vet Street, says that while examining dogs in his office, he deliberately tickles their sides, back of the chest, and abdomen. A healthy dog ​​responds to these actions with an uncontrolled movement of the paw, which is called scratching reflex. During the tickling of a pet, you can notice this reflex in combination with dog laughter.

This kind of attention pleases a four-legged friend if he is generally well, not injured or tired. Therefore, you can tickle the dog’s sides to the fullest! But it is important to remember: if you tickle a dog with a full bladder, it may “pee with happiness” a little.

Where the dog is tickled

Any part of the pet’s body can react to being tickled. Surprisingly, according to Caroline Springs Veterinary Hospital (Victoria, Australia), dog paws are even more ticklish than human feet. They say that this explains the dislike of many pets for the procedure. nail clipping. Not nail clippers, but touching their sensitive paws drives pets crazy.

To find particularly ticklish areas on a dog’s body, you can gently run your hand over its body from head to tail. Don’t forget about the belly and the area behind the ears – two main sources of pleasure. Maybe the dog reacts to scratching a certain area by bobbing his head, wagging his tail, moving his paws and the hoarse laugh mentioned above? Perhaps this is her favorite and especially ticklish place.

However, just like humans, not all dogs enjoy being tickled. If your pet turns away, puts his ears back, stops smiling, or starts biting, you need to stop scratching and let the dog know by voice that he is safe.

Can you tickle a dog? Of course yes. Perhaps she will even please the owner with her special doggy laugh. But before you start tickling your pet, it is important to make sure that he is in the mood for this activity. If your four-legged friend is not feeling well or is tired after a long walk, it is best to let him rest. After all, a person would hardly like it if someone tickled him in a similar state. But if the dog looks into the eyes, rides on its back and invites you to play, you should drop everything and start the fun tickling as soon as possible!

See also:

• Why does a dog eat earth
• Why do dogs howl
• Why do dogs sniff each other’s tails?
• Why the dog is trembling: 6 main reasons