Do dogs lean on us out of dominance?

I saw a comment thread on reddit where everyone was saying how cute it is when their dogs lean on them for affection. most people said they like when their dogs lean on them, and they don’t seem to think anything of it, good or bad.

Then there were a few people who jumped in preaching Cesar-Millan talk, saying that a dog that leans on you is trying to assert his dominance. and of course this created all kinds of drama as people became overly emotional and defensive about “dominance theory.”

Here’s the thing: sometimes dogs do use their bodies to claim space or to get to an object first or to simply be in the lead. call it dominance. call it cute. call it whatever you want. It’s what dogs do.

But not a single person (except yours truly!) brought up the fact that many dogs will lean on their owners for security. They will lean on their owners because they are shy, fearful or insecure in that moment. They are not trying to dominate their owners. They are trying to feel safe.

Nine times out of 10, when dogs lean on us they really are just seeking attention. They like to be close to people. and yes, sometimes it’s rude.

Why dogs lean on us

My dogs Ace will come up and slam his side into my legs, wiggling his body into a U shape and whipping his tail every which way.

I don’t see this as dominance (although he does want my attention) or insecurity (although he does feel safer with me around). He’s just trying to connect with his best friend! e adivinha? Funciona!

I always bend down and give him a good butt scratch. “Good boy, Ace!”

But there are dog owners who don’t read into anything their dogs are telling them. everything the dog does is cute or funny to them, even when the dog is trying to communicate something. To them, a dog that leans couldn’t possibly be trying to say anything other than “I love you.”

And then there are dog owners who assume every action from a dog always means the same thing. Growling always represents dominance, for example. Or a wagging tail always represents happiness. Or leaning always represents friendship. Hum …

In order to understand our dogs, we need to pay more attention to what they are trying to communicate during each specific situation.

Dogs can certainly block us with their bodies in order to gain access to what they want, but they will also lean on us in order to feel safe.

Here are some examples of when an insecure dog might lean on his owner:

1. shy dogs will typically lean on their owners in order to feel safe

My former foster dog Cosmo was a leaner.

He would lean on me when someone came to the door or when we attended an adoption event. This wasn’t because he was trying to dominate me. He was leaning on me in order to feel more secure.

Poor Cosmo was always stressed at adoption events. His ears would be back. He would avoid direct eye contact with people. He would pant with an open mouth. usually one front paw would be raised and tucked up into his chest. sometimes he trembled. sometimes he even growled at people.

No wonder no one was very interested in him during these events!

I made sure not to give Cosmo affection when he leaned on me for security. telling him “It’s OK. Tudo bem. good boy,” would only teach him to continue looking to me for security. In order to help him grow as an individual and build his confidence, I had to teach him not to depend on me so much.

So I would block Cosmo with my hip or my elbow (I was usually sitting on the floor with him). Or I would simply move away or up into a chair. He would usually shift back in order to lean on me again, and I would move away again as well. When he was relaxed and lying next to me without touching, I would pet him calmly.

Eu sei eu sei. some of you are thinking, “But affection does not reinforce a dog’s fears.” Isso é verdade. and I’m not saying you should correct a fearful dog. just look for ways to block some habits in order to slowly help the dog move on and grow.

See my post: Does affection reward a fearful dog?

Treats and favorite toys can also be very useful to help distract an insecure dog from everything going on. You can use treats to get him to think about something else like sit or stay and build his confidence that way. sometimes I would make Cosmo lie down and stay a foot away. then he would get the treat as a reward for maintaining distance. “Wow, what a good boy! Tão corajoso!”

2. Some dogs climb into their owners’ laps in order to feel more secure

Some little dogs will climb into their owners’ laps in order to feel more secure. big dogs try this as well, but it’s usually the smaller dogs that tremble in their owners’ arms because they fear something in the environment.Em vez disso, o proprietário deve colocar o cachorro no chão e lentamente ajudá -lo a entender que nada de ruim acontece em novas situações. O proprietário deve ignorar o cachorro ou se afastar quando ele as patas freneticamente nas pernas dela para voltar. Ela deve dar -lhe um prazer ou buscá -lo apenas quando ele estiver calmo ou se a situação é realmente arriscada para o rapaz.

E, claro, é importante não sobrecarregar completamente o cachorro. Se ele tem medo de novas pessoas e cães, seria injusto colocá -lo no chão no meio de um PetSmart ou uma feira de rua. Mas o proprietário deve procurar situações menos “assustadoras” primeiro e desafiar lentamente o cachorro cada vez mais a partir daí.

Alguns cães até se tornarão possessivos de seus donos, rosnando e mordendo os braços de seus donos se alguém chegar muito perto. Claro que eles serão possessivos. Eles não querem ser removidos de sua “fonte de energia”.

Mas mesmo esses cães não estão latindo por domínio. Eles estão latindo uma tempestade porque são inseguros. Eles estão agindo defensivamente.

Então, como um proprietário pode corrigir esse problema?

Da mesma maneira que acima. Procure situações que não sejam muito impressionantes e mantenha o cachorro no chão. Carregá -lo por aí não o ajudará a construir confiança.

A maioria dos pequenos vai imediatamente tentar voltar aos braços de seus donos – o lugar de empoderamento deles.

O proprietário não deve permitir isso, a menos que o cão esteja realmente em perigo.

Se o cachorro tentar pular de volta para o colo de seu dono, ela deve bloqueá -lo com o braço. Se ele chegar ao colo dela, ela deve ficar em pé e empurrá -lo ou colocá -lo no chão. Se ele começar a rosnar e latir para as pessoas de pé, ela deve colocar a trela nele e amarrá -lo para longe dela. Ela deve recompensá -lo quando ele estiver calmo e não latindo ou chorando.

O objetivo é ajudar o cão a crescer como indivíduo, afastando -o de sua dependência de seu dono.

Veja meu post: Como impedir meu cachorro de me proteger.

3. Alguns cães se escondem entre as pernas de seus donos no parque para cães

Quando os cães se escondem entre as pernas de seus donos no parque de cães, muitos proprietários respondem acariciando o cachorro ou conversando com o cachorro.

Em vez disso, é melhor se afastar. continue andando. Não permita que o cachorro se esconda atrás de você ou sob você. Ajude o cão a construir sua confiança diminuindo sua dependência de você.

Se o cachorro parecer muito tímido ou com medo, basta se afastar dos outros cães, re-grupo e voltar novamente depois de alguns segundos. Você não quer sobrecarregar muito o seu cachorro, forçando -o a interagir logo de cara. Confira o parque para cães durante as horas mais tranquilas e não planeje ficar por muito tempo. Se ele toca por alguns segundos e parecer sobrecarregado, basta sair enquanto você está à frente. Pelo menos ele jogou por alguns segundos. Isso é um sucesso.

Alguns cães apreciam socializar em grupos menores, assim como algumas pessoas gostam de socializar em grupos menores. Alguns cães e algumas pessoas se cansam de socializar mais cedo que outras. Caramba, eu sou uma das pessoas mais introvertidas que conheço! Eu certamente posso me relacionar com todos aqueles cães introvertidos por aí.

O que você notou sobre o seu cachorro quando ele se inclina para você?

Ele geralmente está procurando atenção? Poder? Segurança? Provavelmente tudo isso acima, dependendo da situação. Deixe-nos saber nos comentários!

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