Why Do Dogs Like to Be Petted?

When you really think about it, dog petting is kind of a weird thing.

You don’t go up to your friends and start scratching them on the belly or petting them on the top of their head, no matter how glad you are to see them or how proud you are they didn’t pee on the carpet (everyone has that one weird friend…). But we don’t think twice about petting a friendly dog.

But strange or not, it’s something we do, and it appears to be something dogs enjoy! So, let’s dive into the subject and explore this strange feature of the human-dog relationship.

Human-Canine Communication

Dogs and humans share an unusually strong interspecies bond.

Many other animals form symbiotic relationships, such as venomous sea anemones and the clownfish who live amidst their stinging tentacles; but these and similar relationships are nothing like the one formed between dogs and humans.

Dogs have lived alongside humans for tens of thousands of years (researchers debate the precise date of domestication), and because we’re both pretty smart creatures (weird friends aside), we’ve managed to develop a very unique system of communication over this time.

For example, dogs and humans look each other in the eyes when interacting. This is very rare in the animal kingdom – wolves and chimpanzees both consider eye contact a threat. Dogs also understand pointing, but chimpanzees and wolves do not.

The Chemistry Between You and Your Dog

But the bond between humans and dogs isn’t limited to communication: We actually alter our dog’s hormone levels when interacting with them, and they do the same to ours.

Specifically, they cause an increase in the production of oxytocin, the hormone primarily responsible for the mother-baby connection that develops during the first few weeks of life. But oxytocin also influences other aspects of our thoughts and behavior. Oxytocin is part of the reason you feel the desire to be kind to others, and it is also at work when you are deciding whether or not to trust someone.

Scientists have actually studied this empirically and found that when dogs and their people stare into each other’s eyes they both experience an increase in oxytocin levels. A big increase.

While the researchers found that brief gazes failed to elicit much of a change, those participants who stared into each other’s eyes for the longest period experienced shocking increases in oxytocin.

In such cases, the dogs experienced a minimum of a 130% increase in their oxytocin levels, while their people saw a whopping 300% increase in their own levels!

It was perhaps best put by canine-cognition expert Brian Hare, of Duke University in an interview with Science. As explained by Hare, “[It] suggests that dogs have hijacked the human bonding system.”

So, Why Do Dogs Like to Be Petted?

Knowing that we have a special type of communication with our dogs and that we influence each other’s hormone levels suggests that dogs do like physical contact from their people, but it doesn’t tell us why.

Unfortunately, scientists haven’t really studied the matter rigorously, so we’re left with little more than speculation. However, there are some interesting and viable theories out there as to why dogs enjoy a good pat. Some of the factors that may cause dogs to like petting include:

• It just feels good. Humans enjoy all types of pleasant touching, and dogs are probably similar in this regard.
• It serves as a sort of “social glue,” in the same ways that grooming behaviors foster relationships among many primates.
• It provides health benefits, such as lowered blood pressure or reduced heart rate. We know these things occur in people, and dogs exhibit a reduced heart rate after being pet by their owners.
• In a broader sense, physical contact may serve as an emotional thermometer. Research has shown that humans can often determine the emotions of others through touch alone – perhaps dogs can do the same.
• Similarly, touch may help social animals (like both humans and dogs) keep tabs on the members of their group.

In all likelihood, dogs enjoy petting for a combination of these reasons. But without more research, we will have to keep speculating (although you should speculate while petting your pup).

Stop the Yappin’ and Start Pettin’

In an effort to better understand the human-dog relationship, researchers from the University of Florida designed a series of tests to determine whether dogs preferred receiving vocal praise or praise of the hands-on variety. It turns out that not only do dogs prefer being petted by their people, they don’t seem to care very much about the vocal praise.

The researchers found that dogs spent more time around people that petted them than they did around people who only offered vocal praise. In fact, the scientists found that for vocal praise to register, it had to be coupled with some other positive feedback.

So, you could, for example, give your dog a treat while telling him “good boy!” After some time, the vocal praise will elicit a positive reaction, without the treat being necessary.

Of course, this ignores the point that your dog would still prefer you to pet him, and that doesn’t require you to condition him at all. Just call him over and start petting.

The Dos and Don’ts of Dog-Friendly Petting

Regardless of why your dog probably loves when you pet him, it’s important to make sure you pet him the right way. Despite our close relationship, dogs don’t interpret things the same way humans do, so it is important to pet your dog in the way he’ll appreciate most.

Ask First (It’s Not Just For Kids)!

Never walk up to an unfamiliar dog and start petting him. That’s a good way to stress him out or suffer a painful bite. Always solicit the owner’s permission first, and then approach the dog from the side – not head on.

If you know the dog well (perhaps he is a friend’s pet, or you see him at the dog park all the time), you can shorten the “meet and greet” portion of the process, just be sure not to startle him and read his body language.

Learn more about how to approach canines politely in our guide on how to greet an unfamiliar dog!

Start Slow

Extend a loose fist (which looks more like a paw) with your palm facing down and hold it a few inches below the dog’s face. Once he starts sniffing or licking your hand and wagging his tail, you can begin petting him gently.

Don’t Touch The Face

Most dogs prefer being petted under their chin or on the side of their face rather than the top of their head. Head patting is stressful and intimidating for many dogs, although for some reason, it’s the first place many of us are inclined to pet.

Once the dog is demonstrating his appreciation, you can begin petting him on the chest, sides, shoulders or rear haunches.

Where Should You Pet a Dog?

Different dogs will appreciate being petted in different areas, but there are a few common places that’ll elicit tail wags and smiling faces from most dogs.

These areas include:

The Upper Chest

Many dogs love having their chest (most notably the area between the front legs) petted or scratched. This is a great place to pet your dog while he’s sitting – just sit beside him, wrap your arm around his body and pet or scratch the chest region.

Because this type of petting requires a fair bit of intimacy and is close to your dog’s delicate vitals, it is best reserved for dogs with whom you’ve already developed a trusting relationship.

The Hips and Butt Area

This is probably the place many dogs love being petted the most, and they will often lose their mind if provided with five minutes of continuous scratching in this area. Work the entire region, from one hip, across the booty, and over to the other hip while doling out the lovin’. And be sure to pay plenty of attention to the tail base – many dogs are especially fond of petting in this area.

Most dogs who will accept petting and act friendly toward you will enjoy butt and hip scratches, so this is a pretty good way to advance your friendship with a new dog.

The Ears

If you want a dog to stare at you lovingly for a while, just start gently rubbing his ears – particularly near the base where most of the cartilage is. Massage the area gently, as well as the surrounding jaw and neck area for maximum effect.

If you want to help your dog relax, you can usually have great results by gently massaging the tips of his ears. This may even help some dogs drift off to sleep.

The Belly

If a dog is completely comfortable with you, he’ll often roll over and expose his belly. Take advantage of this opportunity by giving him some pets or gentle scratches on the belly, and you’ll likely make a lifelong friend. Many dogs will even perform the stereotypical kicking behavior if you get the scratching just right, so search around a bit for his favorite spot.

Often, dogs like the sides of their belly petted, although some prefer if you migrate down near the crease between their rear legs and belly.

Under the Chin

Although you’ll want to use caution petting the underside of an unfamiliar dog’s chin, most dogs enjoy being petted in this location. You can even work from the tip of the chin down toward the neck area if the dog is comfortable and relaxed.

Be gentle when petting this area for the best results – this location isn’t suitable for the kind of vigorous petting that a dog’s haunches or back are.

The Shoulder and Back

Many dogs like being petted, scratched or patted around the shoulders or on their backs. This isn’t a great place to pet unfamiliar dogs, but your own pet may enjoy it very much. There is a ton of fur and thick skin in this place, so you can be relatively vigorous when doing so (within reason).

Strategies and Techniques for Optimal Petting Pleasure

Petting a dog isn’t exactly rocket science, but there are definitely better and worse ways to go about it. Just try to keep the following tips in mind, and you’ll be a dog-petting master in no time.

Calibrate the Pressure

Some dogs love really vigorous petting, while others will appreciate a gentler touch.

Big, confident, and playful dogs will generally prefer the former, while small, skittish or shy canines would rather you adopt the latter approach. Just try to read your dog and adjust the amount of pressure (as well as the type of petting you employ) until you figure out what he likes best.

Keep in mind that dogs will appreciate different levels of pressure in different areas. Most dogs enjoy the most vigorous petting on their haunches or chest, but they prefer a light touch under their chin, on top of their head or around their ears.

Avoid Overstimulating Your Pet

A good petting session can get your dog pretty fired up, so try to avoid overstimulating him when you are just sitting on the couch. Keep the petting gentle and slow, and you should try to encourage your pup to remain calm while receiving affection. If he starts getting too wound up, slow things down and move to the ears for a moment – that’ll usually calm him down a bit.

On the flip side, if you are out playing in the backyard or you just got home from work, it’s probably not a terrible idea to get him worked up (occasionally, a particularly splendid petting session will trigger the zoomies, so be prepared).

Stop If Your Dog Exhibits an Undesirable Behavior

Some dogs can become a bit insistent about getting their haunches or belly scratched, which can be a bit irritating. They may begin “nosing” your hand to get it into the proper position or crawl up on your lap when they decide they deserve praise.

It’s hard to blame them for loving hands-on affection, but you don’t want to encourage this type of behavior, either. Don’t scold your pup when he does this kind of thing; instead, just stop petting him when he does this. By removing the reward, you’ll probably be able to discourage these behaviors.

Work Different Spots

When you get a massage, you don’t want the therapist to stay on one spot near your right shoulder – you want him or her to move around and work all of your muscles. Your dog will also appreciate when you spread the love out and pet several different parts of his body.

Perhaps you can start by working his shoulders, move to the chest and then finish up with some belly scratching. It doesn’t really matter what order you move in, but it’s probably a good idea to finish up with his favorite spot.

Does your dog like being petted more than life itself? I know my does.

I don’t even use treats to train her, I just give her the “who-is-daddy’s-good-girl?” treatment while giving her some vigorous rubbing on the shoulders or hips. But we’d love to hear your stories. Tell us all about your puppy-petting experiences in the comments below!