Content
- Reasons for a belly up dog
- Submission Signal
- sign of fear
- he wants affection
- Why do puppies lie on their backs?
- Why does my dog sleep on his back?
Picture this scene: your furry best friend just lays down next to you but not with his belly on the floor, but in reverse, facing the ceiling.
Few canine behaviors generate as much impact on people's souls as when a dog, and especially a puppy, lies down on the floor with its four legs up and completely exposes your belly. A mixture of tenderness and affection surrounds the person to whom this canine behavior is directed. Do you agree?
Regardless of what this attitude of a dog generates in the person watching, the question that usually comes to mind is: why is my dog on his back? What did I do to make him do this? Is it love? Is it fear? And respect? In this article by PeritoAnimal, we'll explain the reasons that lead our furry friend to do this. If you're curious, keep reading!
Reasons for a belly up dog
We already know that dogs can have different positions according to their mood - such as when they are happy - or even sleeping. And when we have a dog on its back, what can it be? Is it because the dog likes affection and want to be petted in this region? Or simply because you want to scratch your back? Here we present some of the possible reasons that may explain this position:
Submission Signal
When the dog is on its back this can be a sign of submission, respect and trust. Our dog knows we won't do him any harm, he trusts us and shows us this by exposing his belly, which is a gesture of great vulnerability, as it is right in the belly where all his vital organs are.
sign of fear
However, when a dog shows us its belly is not always a sign that it trusts us. It could also be that he does this because he is afraid of you. In these situations, you can see that, among other gestures, he puts the tail between legs and even tries to lick your hand.
If you find yourself in this situation, it's best not to pet your dog right away, but to let him calm down and get comfortable. In other words, give him space to see that we pose no threat to him.
he wants affection
When you have a dog on its back, it may also be the case that it simply wants to be pampered with a lot of affection. This is especially true when the dog lists affection in this region as something pleasant and very pleasant. Of course, if he asks you to pet him in this region, it also means that he trusts you and wants to relax with the help of your hands.
And speaking of good things, maybe you could be interested in this other PeritoAnimal article with 46 ways to make your dog happy.
Why do puppies lie on their backs?
In the first few months of life, puppies are absolutely dependent on the care provided by their mother in particular, but also by all adult members of the group in general. This makes the puppies feel a mixture of respect and fear by the adult individuals of their group.
There are times, like when puppies are about two months old, in which they start to play, which leads to situations where the adult gets tired and puts him in their place. These situations are what make puppies feel that mix of emotions mentioned above.
The way that natural canine evolution has managed to prevent puppies from being injured by an adult individual with rabies is by having the young puppy exhibit behavior that signals the adult dog that he is in the presence of a puppy. Thus, when warning the young animal, the adult calms down and does not respond to as aggressively as would respond to another adult.
This instinctive puppy behavior can be nothing more, nothing less than dropping down, putting its paws up, and lying on its back. From these gestures the adults realize that it is a puppy.
In this other PeritoAnimal article you will see how to socialize a puppy.
Why does my dog sleep on his back?
Now that you know what it can mean when you have a dog on its back, you may wonder when a dog is on its back while sleeping. Dogs' sleeping positions say a lot about how they feel at home and also about their mood.
In this case, when a dog sleeps on its back it means, without a doubt, that it is quite comfortable in its environment. The dog sleeps on his stomach because he is calm, and this is one of the different positions of a happy dog.
In the following video on our channel you will find 10 positions of the dog that indicate he is happy:
If you want to read more articles similar to Why is my dog on his back?, we recommend that you enter our Basic Education section.