Golden retrievers are friendly, social dogs that are quite intelligent and know how to get their owner’s attention. Could this be the reason “why golden retrievers put their paw on you?”
The answer is attention. The main reason a golden retriever puts their paw on you is they want attention. The attention they are seeking may be socialization, food, or playtime. Golden Retrievers are intelligent dogs who will use their paws to alert their humans whenever they need something.
Let’s take a look at what it means when your Golden Retriever puts their paws on you and the steps you can take to make sure you give your dog exactly what they need.
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Reasons Golden Retrievers Put Their Paw On You?
Golden Retrievers are known for getting excited and happy when they are around the people they love. One of the main reasons pet owners love them so much is that this is an adventurous and smart dog for anything. Usually, it is easy to understand this dog’s body language, and you can tell right away why they are sad or happy.
However, there are times when this dog may put its paws on you to touch you. This is a confusing sign and not one that most dog breeds will do. Many attribute this to the intelligence of the Golden Retriever, and this motion is often a way for them to communicate to you that they need something.
There are several reasons why your Golden Retriever may place their paw on you. Some of the most common reasons include:
They Want Social Interaction
If you start to notice your dog pawing at you often, this is a sign they would like you to interact with them more. They know that by pawing at you, they can easily draw your attention away from your current task to get the attention focused on them. When this is the case, they want you to come and pet them, talk to them, or even play a little fetch with them, so they feel connected again.
Often when my golden retriever is seeking attention he will also bring a toy over and drop that on your lap and then proceeds to paw at you. It’s a clear sign of wanting attention and some playtime. This is often done at night when everyone home and it’s his time. It pretty much like clockwork for him at night.
You Have Possession Of Something They Want
Most dog breeds will love to play with toys with each pet having their own favorite toy to enjoy. If you notice your Golden Retriever is pawing at you, it is possible that you have one of those favorite toys in your hand and they want it back. Take a look at what you are holding in your hand. Maybe you are absently picking up around the house and did not even notice what you were holding. Your Golden Retriever notices though and they want to get it back.
Sometimes this pawing is a sign that your pet knows where their toy is, but they are not able to get ahold of it. Maybe the toy fell behind the couch. When they paw you, they are trying to let you know they need help getting the toy. They may also appreciate you stopping and playing with them when you are done.
They will also do this if you are playing with then then stop maybe you’ll still holding the toy and got distracted from throwing the ball again. You can expect a paw shortly, saying hey, throw the ball!
My golden will do this when playtime is clearly over, he will continue to paw at us wanting more playtime.
They Want What You Are Eating
You may quickly notice that your Golden Retriever is that they like to eat everything and anything. This is one of the reasons they are often described as a “food-motivated breed.” If you notice that the pawing starts when you are having dinner or sitting down to eat a snack, it is likely the pawing is that your dog wants some of what you are eating.
In some cases, the Golden Retriever is not necessarily interested in what you are eating. The pawing could be a sign that they see you eating something in front of them and they are hungry too. They may decide to pay at you to alert you that they would like something of their own to eat.
They Want You to Pet Them
Your Golden Retriever may choose to paw at you when they want some attention and to be petted. All dog breeds want love and attention from their owners and they want to be stroked and loved affectionately. They may use different behavioral cues to help show that they need this attention. This is one of the ways that a Golden Retriever can ask for your affection and warmth when you are busy.
They Need Your Assistance
One of the most common reasons that any dog may paw at you is that they need help with something. Your Golden Retriever may be playing, and then it gets stuck somewhere. When they use their paw to touch you, they are trying to get you the help to fetch that toy. They may do it to go on a walk or when they need to get outside to use the restroom. Your Golden Retriever may need help or assistance, and pawing at their owners can help them get what they want. They are smart enough to know how to do this.
They Want to Apologize for Something
Dogs often communicate in different ways. Just like when you can tell when the Golden Retriever is upset or when they are happy, they can easily understand the emotions of humans. This means that they can tell when you are mad at them for something that they did wrong during the day.
This is why a Golden Retriever will put their paw on their owner because they want to apologize for something they did wrong. Touching your leg or arm using their paws is one of the best ways a Golden Retriever has of showing you their warmth and love and letting you know they are sorry for something they did.
They Want a Reward
And finally, your Golden Retriever may be doing this action because they are looking for some kind of reward. When they paw at you, they likely want you to stop what you are doing and put all of your attention to them. When you do this, they will feel rewarded and enjoy that gratification.
Should I Be Worried About Pawing?
For the most part, there is no reason for the dog owner to be worried about this pawing. Golden Retrievers are smart and can use this behavior to take care of their needs and get their owners’ attention. They usually know when to use it and when they need to avoid it.
Dog pawing is a natural behavior trait, and all dogs will do it at some point. A few times, though, when this pawing can become too much, and you may need to do a little bit of work to change the behavior. Some instances where the pawing is a bad thing includes:
- A sign of dominance: Dog pawing can be a great way for your pet to communicate and show love. But there are instances when your dog may continue to paw to show their dominance. If this continues to happen, it is time to make changes.
- It becomes dangerous: The pawing can become hurtful when it goes through the clothes and scratches the skin. You will need to watch out for this on yourself and for children.
- They paw at children or guests: This can be an annoyance that needs to be fixed quickly.
How to Control the Pawing
If the pawing happens just a little bit, it is not a big concern. You can give your pet a little attention, and everything is good. But when the pawing starts to become too much, there are a few changes you can make.
One of these is by changing their behavior. Instead of allowing them to paw for what they want, you can replace it with new behavior. Think of a behavior that you approve of and then do some training to help them learn it. You may try to do something like getting your dog to sit and rewarding them with a treat when they do, any time they try to paw at you. After a little bit of training, they will learn to stop.
Also, dog owners need to take the time to let their golden retriever realize that pawing is not always going to be rewarded. They can’t get what they want each time the pawing happens, or it will quickly get out of hand. Ignore the pawing on occasion, especially when you are busy and walk away. This lets the dog know that they can use this as a communication method, but you do not have to do what they want each time.
As you can see, there are many different reasons why a Golden Retriever may begin to paw at you. This is an easy way for them to let their owner know that something is wrong or need assistance with something bothering them. Whether your Golden Retriever needs you to pay attention to them or are hungry, it is a big sign of this dog’s intelligence that they know what they want and can show their owners what is important.