I’ve seen so many dogs, my own included, that don’t like it when people touch their paws. The more interaction I had with these dogs, the clearer it became why they didn’t like it.
Most dogs don’t like it when people touch their paws because it’s a sensitive area filled with nerve endings. These nerve endings send signals from the dog’s paw to the brain, helping them safely navigate the surfaces they walk on.
So, although a dog’s paw pads are tough, the nerve endings help dogs notice when they walk on surfaces that would harm their feet. Other reasons dogs don’t like their paws touched are that they may associate it with past trauma, or the paw can physically hurt. Let’s take a deeper look at these reasons.
Why Dogs Don’t Like it When You Touch Their Paws
“Some dogs might resist you touching their paws simply because it makes them feel awkward or vulnerable.”
Wag!
The dog’s paw is more sensitive, and touching the paw can feel strange.
Your dog’s paw might be tough enough to walk on various terrains, but they have many nerve endings in their paws. Whenever someone touches that paw, it signals to the dog’s brain that something out of the ordinary is happening to their feet.
Because dogs use their feet to walk on or dig with, they’re not used to people fiddling with their paws. So, if your dog seems uncomfortable with you handling their feet, they might just not be used to the sensation.
The dog can associate paw touching with past trauma.
Some dogs don’t like it when people touch their paws because they associate the sensation with past trauma. Something or someone touched their paw, they got hurt or anxious, and now they connect paw touching with pain.
This trauma can include any nerve-wracking or painful experience for a dog, from the stressful situation of having their nails cut to stepping on glass that cuts their pads.
So, if your dog seems anxious, nervous, or even a bit aggressive when you touch their feet, but they have no visible rash, cut, or injury, it could be because of past trauma.
The dog’s paw can physically hurt when someone touches it.
A dog with physical injuries or infections won’t like it when someone touches their paw. Touching this paw may increase the dog’s pain levels, making them even more uncomfortable than they already were.
- If a dog’s paw is hurt, they might lick at the paw, limp a little when they walk, or you can visibly see cuts, scrapes, or lesions on the foot.
- If a dog’s paw has an infection, they will lick at the paw, or you will see visible rashes, oozing, or notice a foul smell coming from the foot.
If this is the case with your dog, consider taking them to the vet. The vet can prescribe an ointment or give proper instructions on how you could nurse that paw back to health.
Why Your Dog must be Comfortable With People Touching Their Paw
Although it’s not a natural sensation for dogs to have their feet touched, it is still vital for a few reasons. The more comfortable they are with people touching their feet, the less nervous they will be when the time comes to hold their feet still.
It’s essential for dogs to be comfortable with people touching their feet, so cutting their nails, paw inspection, and vet checks are hassle-free.
To Cut Your Dog’s Nails Without Hassle
So many people struggle to cut their dog’s nails because the dog doesn’t want to sit still or becomes anxious. However, nail cutting becomes easier when dogs are used to someone touching their paws.
Although paw comfortability is crucial for cutting nails, keep in mind that you must still get your dog used to the nail clipper and process of nail cutting. It’s a multi-step process that will make your and your dog’s lives more manageable in the future.
So Your Dog is Comfortable During Vet Visits or Check-Ups
Some dogs might get something stuck between their toes or get infections or injuries on the feet. So, these dogs need to be comfortable with people touching their feet to inspect them.
Remember that infections or injuries already make a dog uncomfortable, so being used to someone touching their paws will ease the inspection process. The more comfortable the dog is, the quicker you or the vet can get a foreign body out from between the toes or treat infections or injuries.
How to Get Your Dog More Comfortable With Having Their Paws Touched
Okay, so you know your dog doesn’t like it when you touch their feet, but how do you get them comfortable with the action? Well, it’s pretty easy. All you have to do is be patient and practice touching your dog’s feet daily. Soon, they will get used to it, and you won’t struggle so much anymore.
Here’s how to get dogs comfortable with having their feet touched:
- Start touching your dog’s paw as soon as possible. The younger the dog is, the better. So, playfully touch their feet and make it a fun game if you have a puppy. It’s not too late for adult dogs, though. As long as you start practicing today, you’ll see a difference in no time!
- Slowly get your dog comfortable. Start by touching your dog’s feet only for a few seconds at a time, then stop. A slow process will help your dog ease into this activity without making them nervous.
- Don’t touch the foot if your dog seems uncomfortable. The moment your dog is uncomfortable or takes their paw away, stop the activity. The idea is that you make touching their foot a pleasurable experience, not a stressful one.
- Reward your dog if they didn’t react to you touching their foot. When your dog accepts your foot touches without retaliation, give a treat. Again, this will help make paw touching a good experience instead of a negative one.
- Repeat this exercise several times a day until your dog is comfortable. It might take weeks to months before your dog becomes comfortable with someone touching their paws. Don’t worry. As long as you consistently practice at home, your dog will get the hang of it. The more you practice, the more your dog will associate it with a positive experience!
As an added measure, please read about how positive reinforcement is a method to reward your dog for touching their paw. It’s an excellent method that makes dogs less anxious and more excited about future training sessions!
The Paws Perspective
I needed to cut my Spaniels’ nails myself, but neither liked it when I touched their feet. I knew they didn’t like the sensation, but I also knew they needed to get comfortable with it.
So, I practiced touching their feet while I played with them. Sometimes they would receive treats as a reward for not jerking away, and others would get a “good dog.”
Whichever works for your dog, try it. You don’t have to struggle with a dog that gets nervous when you touch their paw. It’s such an easy behavior to modify; you have to try it!