Why Do Dogs Like Belly Rubs So Much? Everything You Need To Know!

Have you ever seen a dog getting his belly rubbed by his owner? If yes, then you might also have experienced the satisfaction and sheer joy the dog might get from it. But what is it about belly rubs that our canine friends loved getting? Why do dogs like belly rubs? In today’s blog, we’ll dig deep into this topic. So without any further delay, let’s get started!

Top 5 Reasons Why Dogs Like Belly Rubs

Dogs enjoy getting belly rubs every then and now. But if you ask why dogs like belly rub so much, there are some pretty interesting reasons. Some of those reasons include:

 1. It Makes Feels so Good

The first reason dogs love belly rubs is that it makes them feel good. When you give a dog a belly rub, it gives them the sensation of calmness and enjoyment. But here’s the thing – dogs only allow humans they think are safe around, to give them belly rubs. When dogs allow you to touch their tummy, it’s a behaviour of submission. They feel safe with your touch and therefore allow you to give them belly rubs.

A belly rub is like a massage for a dog. When you rub their belly, it releases a happy hormone, i.e. Serotonin. This hormone helps boost their mood, keeping them joyful. This is also why dogs love belly rubs so much that sometimes they roll to their back, showing their stomach. They can demand belly rubs even in the most inappropriate times because it’s a joyful act for them.

 2. Act of Submission

Have you ever scold a dog? If yes, you might have noticed that they roll onto their backs when you scold them. In other words, they show you their belly, and their legs go in the air. Then when you try to touch them or go near them, they’ll roll back and move away. This action reflects the behaviour of submission. It shows that the dog doesn’t want your touch or rub.

But instead of barking at your touch, they simply walk away from you, showing a behaviour of submission. By doing this, they want you to know that they don’t want to get in trouble for whatever they had done wrong. Moreover, it’s not always a chance that your dog will walk away from you, touching their belly. Most of the time, when you rub their belly, when they roll back in submission, it gives them surety. A surety that you have will not punish them.

 3. It Stimulates Their Hair Follicles

Have you noticed the small hairs in the stomach of a dog? Those are called hair follicles, and they are sensitive in nature. When you rub a dog’s belly, you are also rubbing its hair follicles. When these hairs are rubbed, dogs get a soothing experience. Try rubbing the hair on their stomach with light and notice how relaxed the dog will become.

Moreover, multiple nerves are also present near your dog’s stomach. Rubbing the area is like giving them a massage and is a type of grooming for them. You might also find your dog’s legs moving fast when you massage at a certain spot on its belly. Fast-moving legs are a nerve reaction, which means your dog enjoys the act.

 4. Get Your Attention

Every dog loves its owner and wants as much attention as it can get from them. Rubbing their belly isn’t just something they want to be enjoyable for themselves. If they notice that the owners also enjoy rubbing their tummy as much as they love getting it, they are more likely to ask for it often. It’s because they know it’ll get the owner’s attention, which is what every dog wants.

Another reason why dogs like belly rubs are due to comfort. They feel extremely comfortable and excited when you rub their belly. Belly rubs are also great indicators of a dog’s level of comfort. If they feel comfortable around you, rolling over to show their belly is a sign. It shows they are comfortable with your touch, and you should continue rubbing their belly.

 5. The Glimpse of Motherhood

After the birth of a puppy, the mother cleans them by licking its tummies and body. It’s typically the first interaction of your dog with the mother. In humans, too, mothers groom their sons and daughters throughout a day, multiple times, when we are kids. When we grow up, remembering the memory brings back joy into our hearts as our brain gets us back into that memory.

Similar things happen with dogs. When you rub the tummy or skin behind their ears, it makes them feel safe and comfortable. It gives them a similar feeling they used to get when they were confronted with their mother’s touch. Since your dog associates you with its carer, her dads and moms, they naturally enjoy the parental moment with you. Dog owners their pets are no less than their sons and daughters.

How To Give Good Belly Rubs To Your Dog?

Dogs love getting belly rubs. But then there are also dogs; who don’t like it at all. That’s completely alright because not every dog is into it. Besides, most of them enjoy belly rubs, especially in the mornings. If your dog likes belly rubs, you can give them in the morning.

In the morning, the serotonin levels are at peaks, making the belly rubbing more relaxing for them. Have you given your dog a belly rub before? There’s a right way to rub a dog’s belly for maximum relaxation. Here are some basic steps of giving an exceptional belly rub:

1. Look for signs from your dog asking for a belly rub. The most common sign is – when you go near them, they will roll on their back, showing their belly to you.
2. Sit down and make sure your body language is relaxed and loose at first.
3. Now gently place your palm on their belly and start dubbing their tummy with a light hand.
4. You can try rubbing in motions like open palm, fingernails-in and circular.
5. After 5 to 6 seconds of rubbing their belly, stop and check your dog’s reaction.
6. If they paw at you, try grabbing your hand with both arms, you can continue the same rubbing motion again.
7. Besides, if your dog gets up and leaves you, that’s the biggest sign that the belly rubbing session is over.
8. Don’t just take to one motion of petting; instead, try different motions and notice different results for it.
9. Your goal is to make your pet feel completely comfortable and relaxed, so make sure you don’t rub their tummy hard.

So this is how you can give belly rubs to your dog. Make sure you perform it when your dog is completely comfortable. Please don’t push the belly rubbing on it because it’s useless. At the end of the day, you want your dog to feel enjoyment from the rubbing. Forcing it on them will accomplish nothing. So make sure you look for the signs from your dog and give them belly rubs only when they ask for it.

How To Know if Your Dog Wants a Belly Rub?

Here’s the truth about belly rubs – not every dog wants it or enjoys it. It’s not a big deal because it’s similar to the fact that not every human enjoys getting tickles. Therefore if your dog doesn’t like getting his tummy rubbed, don’t worry because it’s not a big deal. All it means is that your dog prefers another gesture of getting your physical affection. If you haven’t given your dog a belly rub ever, you might want to be sure if they really wanted it or not. But how to know if your dog wants a belly rub?

If your dog throws itself to his back with their tummy on to you, that’s the sign for you. It’s the sign that you can go on with rubbing their belly with light hands, giving them extreme relaxation. It’s your pet’s way to say, “here, I am vulnerable now. I have complete faith in you, and I know that you won’t hurt me”. You can sit down slowly and rub their tummy with your palm. If they do not resist, it’s a green signal for you. What Are The Signals For Belly Rubs?

Now just like, not every dog loves getting its belly rubbed. Similarly, not every dog that rolls on its back wants to get a belly. There could be entirely different reasons for why they might show their tummy to you. Things can go south if you get the wrong signal and continue with belly rubs when they want something else from you.

Your dog might roll over on its back for reasons like being scared or fearing something or someone. This is the behaviour of submission used by dogs to defuse aggressors. Moreover, another reason why you might find your dog rolling on its back is to scratch. This one is pretty simple to identify because dogs wiggle a lot while scratching their back. Identifying the right signals is important to know when your dog wants a belly rub. Here are some of the most common signs that reflects your dog might want belly rubs:

• The body is not tensed but relax
• Their tongue is hanging out of their mouth
• Their job is relaxed and not clenched
• The tail might be wagging fast
• A dog might pant in excitement

Now, if you are meeting a new dog, it’s not ideal to go straight for belly rubbing. Even if you think you have got the right signals from them, it would not be an ideal thing to do. The way of getting started with belly rubs here is starting with some head rubs. Belly rubs to dogs are just like what hugs are like to humans. You do not go straight for a hug with a stranger.

Science Behind Belly Rubs

While no scientific research has been done on why dogs specifically like belly rubbing, we do know that dogs have a cluster of nerves located under the skin on their abdomen and activated by touch. This is often the result of the humorous kicking with the hind legs that many dogs do during a belly rub.

There are also a few scientific explanations for why dogs like to be petted in general. Dogs, like other mammals, have a specific neuron in the brain that responds to the stimulation of hair follicles. This makes rubbing your dog’s tummy the exact equivalent of a brain massage for most people!

Another reason they love it is that when we pet them, their own bodies (and ours) are flooded with Oxytocin, the love hormone. So just like people hugging each other, petting is a great way for you and your dog to express your love for each other. It can also be congenital. Wolf packs keep themselves clean and attach to each other through dressing; licking each other’s fur. So this can be a reason why dogs enjoy belly rubs.

Why Are Belly Rubs Important For The Dog?

Dogs are emotional creatures. While a belly rub may not be a big deal to offer your pet, it’s way more important than you can think for them. Belly rubs are one of the ways you can show your affection to your pet. And everyone knows how hungry dogs are for the affection and attention of their owners. By giving them belly rubs every then, you can spend some time with your loved ones. It will help you strengthen your bond with them, all while giving them an experience full of joy, relaxation, and fun.

Belly rubs are more than just an act of affection for your pet. It’s more about creating a physical bond with them and taking time aside from your daily shore to share moments of connection with your companion. Of course, food, walking, and a nice place to relax at night are their basic living requirements. But having to spend quality time with its owners is a huge part of a dog’s life, which gives them joy and excitement.

FAQs

Final Words

For dogs, belly rubs are highly relaxing and joyful. We have tried our best to cover all the important topics related to belly rubs. So now all you have to do is look for the right signs from your pet and give them belly rubs. They are going to love it.

Also, if you have any queries related to the above content or anything related to pets, make sure to let us know in the comment section below. We’ll try to resolve it as soon as we can. Till then, give your dog belly rubs and strengthen your bold.