A dog will lie down, presenting its stomach and wagging its tail to show it’s comfortable with you. [4] X Expert Source Colleen Demling-Riley, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBCCanine Behavior Consultant Expert Interview. 30 October 2022. Your dog should look relaxed and will lay down without tension in its body. [5] X Expert Source Colleen Demling-Riley, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBCCanine Behavior Consultant Expert Interview. 30 October 2022. A dog looking for a belly scratch may roll around playfully on its back. Presenting its stomach can be a sign of trust from your dog.
Dogs who are afraid will often tuck its tail in between its legs. Nervous dogs will take on a hunched and tense posture. [8] X Expert Source Colleen Demling-Riley, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBCCanine Behavior Consultant Expert Interview. 30 October 2022. Avoiding eye contact is usually also a sign that the dog isn’t really that comfortable. [9] X Expert Source Colleen Demling-Riley, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBCCanine Behavior Consultant Expert Interview. 30 October 2022. Fearful dogs will likely not move much after they present their stomach. Submissive and fearful dogs may growl at you if you approach them. If your dog is covering its belly with their paws, it’s probably not a good idea to pet it. [10] X Expert Source Colleen Demling-Riley, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBCCanine Behavior Consultant Expert Interview. 30 October 2022.
Never try to flip your dog on its back to rub its stomach. Always allow your dog to present its stomach on its own. Forcing a belly rub can make your dog mistrust you.
Always wait for your dog to show its stomach. You dog will naturally roll over and present its stomach if it wants a belly rub. A dog who wants a belly rub will appear loose and relaxed in regards to its body language.
It’s normal for some areas of the stomach to cause your dog to kick when you scratch them. [15] X Research source Always scratch or rub gently as the stomach is a sensitive area on a dog. Feel free to rub your dog’s stomach however you’d like. Try rubbing in circles, short scratches, or longer motions up and down the whole length of your dog’s stomach.
If you stop rubbing and your dog moves away from you, it’s time to stop scratching its stomach. Feel free to stop scratching your dog’s stomach any time you wish.
Your dog might enjoy a rub or scratch under or around its ears. Most dogs will like a good neck rub or scratch. A dog might enjoy it when you scratch its chest. Try scratching under your dog’s chin. A dog might like it when you scratch the area of its back just above where its tail starts.
