Why Does My Dog Put His Paw On Me? - Zigzag (2024)

• Post Date:July 5, 2023
• (Date Last Modified: September 15, 2023)

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It’s just the cutest thing when your dog wants to put their paw on you. It’s almost like they want to touch you at all times. But have you ever wondered why they do it? Has the thought “why does my puppy put their paw on me” ever crossed your mind? Well, good that you’re here. We’re going to give you the full scoop on this quirky piece of dog behavior.

In this article, we’ll be answering the following questions: why does my puppy put his paw on me, what does it mean when my dog puts their paw on me, is it OK if my dog puts their paw on me, and, if you’d rather them keep their paws to themselves, how to stop your puppy putting their paw on you.

You might want to download the Zigzag app now that you’re here. You’ll be provided with a fully comprehensive puppy training program that doesn’t just focus on obedience and tricks. You’ll also learn everything about teaching your puppy life skills and how to live in our human world. Oh, but there’s more. We’ll give you personalized content based on your puppy’s age and breed, so you can be sure they’re learning all the right stuff. And we won’t leave you alone. Our lovely team of professional dog trainers is always ready to talk to you via our in-app chap, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Perfect for those middle-of-the-night crises. With a friendly chat, you’ll get rid of all of that worry.

Why does my puppy put his paw on me?

Mostly for attention. Your dog will mostly put their paw on you to be close to you, show some affection, and signal they would like some attention from you. Remember that dogs don’t use words to communicate, so body language is how they often express themselves.

You can learn more about this in our articles: puppy behavior overview and body language articles.

What does it mean when my dog puts their paw on me?

Dogs use body language and signs to communicate their needs. So if your dog puts their paw on you, it will be them trying to tell you something such as:

Signaling affection

Dogs often get a good feeling when they touch us, so your dog putting their paw on you is just their way of showing you that they love you! It’s kind of the way hugs work on people. Just plain cute.

Wanting attention

If your dog is regularly putting their paws on you when you’re working, it might just mean that they want some attention. Must be hard for them to see that a laptop is getting much more of your attention than them; they’d much rather you give them some strokes, pets, or go for a quick game of fetch.

Asking to go outside

After some toilet training, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good your dog will be at communicating when they need to go outside for a wee. Putting a paw on you might be your cue for letting them out!

They’re hungry!

OK so here’s the deal. Some dogs, like Labradors and Pugs, always seem like they’re hungry. Putting a paw on you might be the best way to remind you that it’s their dinner time!

If you’re hungry for more information, you can read more in our guides: raw feeding for puppies, DIY and Home-cooked treats and food, and puppy nutrition.

Seeking reassurance

Whether your puppy is scared of loud noises like fireworks or simply can’t bear to be apart from you, they will often reach out to us with a paw for a reassuring pet touch or cuddle. It will help mute their worries and remind them that everything is actually okay.

Because you’ve rewarded the paw touching

This is actually really common. Picture the scene: Your puppy comes up and puts their paw on you. You give them attention, affection, talk to them in that gooey voice, their eyes soften and… hey presto, you’ve taught them that putting their paw on you leads to good things!

Should I let my dog put his paw on me?

Yes, we think so. After all, paw touching is just communication, and as dogs can’t speak in our language, we want them to communicate with us in any way that they can, so we understand their needs. It’s no big deal to have a paw on you, unless your dog is really demanding or scratching or puppy biting.

How to stop my dog putting their paw on me

Some people would rather not have paws nudge them every now and then. To each their own. If you don’t like your dog putting their paw on you, here are some things you can do to stop it from happening. Essentially, it’s about teaching them to communicate their needs in another way. And no, it doesn’t involve the English language.

Meet your dog’s needs

Meeting your dog’s needs will help to prevent them from having to tell you they need something…and therefore putting their paw on you. This could be anything; from taking them out for nice, slow, sniffy walks, or to the loo to avoid indoor smelly accidents, to feeding them regularly, or scheduling play sessions throughout the day. Have a checklist of their needs and make sure to keep up with it… you’ll have done everything they need ahead of time!

Remove stressors

If your dog is feeling anxious or scared and looking to you for reassurance, what you need to do is very simple: Remove that thing that is making them feel worried. For example, your puppy may not be too fond of washing machine sounds, fireworks, or the thought of being on their own, so let’s limit the amount of time they are exposed to those situations.

Teach them to relax near you

Get your dog to calm down by teaching them to relax on their bed, or on a mat near where you work or hang out. Positive reinforcement and treats will help you do that in no time. They work like magic.

Teach them to use a bell

Instead of pawing you for attention, teach your dog or puppy to tell you they want to go outside by ringing a bell. Our guide to bell training a puppy will tell you all the details.

Prevent boredom related paw touching

Try using puzzle toys and other forms of mental enrichment like Kongs to scare any boredom away. This will help avoid any attention seeking-related pawing action from your dog.

To sum everything up, if you have a dog who likes to put their paw on you, it only means they’re communicating. It’s not necessarily a bad thing at all. It’s certainly not their way of ‘asserting dominance’, (because dogs aren’t wolves!), and they’re quite unlikely to be resource guarding you. This is often what the internet suggests, but also not true! If your dog is looking for attention by putting their paw on you, then doing some reward based training will do the trick to help to reduce this behavior.

While you’re here, you might want to read other intriguing bits of dog behavior, like ‘why is my puppy acting distant’ or ‘why do dogs dig their beds’. Trust us; dogs are full of surprises. You can never get enough topics to explore about them.
Download the Zigzag app today, and let’s crack on with training your dog to be the best behaved in town! Have a chat to our experts, they’re professional dog trainers and will give you honest advice and tips to help you with all your puppy queries.