The puppy kept approaching my dog with a paw in the air ready to boop.

What does it mean when my dog hits me with his paw. Think of a child constantly whining to get a parents attention its much the same strategy. Your dog wants your attention and he wants it now. When a dog is raising a paw they are trying to tell us something.

Of course dogs raising paws can be a sign of something going wrong so its imperative we pay attention to this behavior. In communication between dogs a dominant dog will often put his paw on the weaker dog as a sign of being above them. If your dog is a fan of physical affection placing his paw on your knee or extending it while lying down could be a simple request to you to give him scratches in his favorite spots.

While most reasons behind a dog putting his paw on you are about affection it could also be a show of dominance. Contents show I want attention. Its likely the primary reason your dog is constantly pawing you is because he wants attention.

When he puts his paws on you you might interpret the act as an affectionate one. Odds are your dogs paws are irritated already and chewing and licking can lead to even more discomfort and pain. If the paw is accompanied by snarling growling or mounting the behavior is likely aggressive.

This is usually accompanied by a sad face that we often find impossible to resist. Just as possible as it is for a pup to paw you as a sign of submission is the possibility of the complete opposite. Since you pay attention to him once he paws you as far as hes concerned it works.

What this is may be a part of instinctual behavior but it can also be a valuable tool in training and education canines. When our furry family member puts their paw on us it may be their way of asserting their dominance. Opal does this all the time we call it her play boop.