Few canine behaviors generate as much impact on people's souls as when a dog, and especially a puppy, lies on the ground with all four paws up and completely exposes its belly. A mixture of tenderness and affection surrounds the recipient of this canine behavior.
Regardless of what that attitude of a dog generates in the person who observes it, the question that usually comes to mind is: Why do dogs teach the belly? What did I do to make him do it? Is it darling? Is fear? Is it respect? In this AnimalWised article, we will try to find out.
Why do puppies turn on their backs?
In the first months of life, the puppies depend absolutely on the care provided by their mother in particular, but also by all the adult members of the group in general. This leads to pups feeling a mixture of respect and fear of the adult individuals in their group. There are times, when the puppies are about two months old, when they begin to play and do puppy things, which leads to situations where the adult gets tired and puts the puppies in their place. These situations are what cause the puppies to feel that mix of emotions mentioned above.
The way that evolution kept puppies from being hurt by an angry adult individual was for the youngster to exhibit behavior that signaled to the adult dog that you are in the presence of a puppy and, upon noticing it, calm your anger and do not respond as aggressively as you would to an adult animal.
This behavior is none other than letting himself fall, putting his feet up and showing his belly, warning the adult, in case he didn't notice, that he is a puppy.
Reasons why dogs show their bellies
When dogs show us their bellies, it can be due to several reasons, some of which are:
Submission Signal
That the furry one shows us his belly can be a sign of submission, respect and trust Our dog knows that we are not going to make him no harm, he trusts us and shows us by exposing his belly, which is a gesture of great vulnerability, since all his vital organs are in his belly.
Sign of fear
However, a dog showing his belly is not always a sign that he trusts us. It may also be the case that he does it because he is afraid of you. In these situations, you will see that, among other gestures, sticks its tail between his legsand even tries to lick your hand
If you find yourself in this situation, it is best not to pet the dog right away, but to give him a moment to calm down and feel comfortable. In other words: give him space to see that we are not a danger to him.
We also advise you to read this other article on our site about My dog is afraid of me, what to do? for more information.
He wants you to pet him
Your dog may also turn on its back to ask for cuddles This is especially the case when the dog associates the caresses on the belly with something pleasant. Of course, if he asks you to pet him, it also means he trusts you.
Why does my dog sleep on his belly?
Now you know why dogs show their bellies, but why do they do it when they sleep? The posture of dogs when sleeping says a lot about how they feel at home and their mood.
In this case, a dog sleeping on its back is, without a doubt, a clear sign of well-being in the animal, that it is comfortablein your enviroment. The dog sleeps belly up because he is calm, and this is also one of the different postures of a happy dog.
