We all love our dogs and our dogs love us right back, and they like to show it in many different ways. They wag their tails while you are around, they lick our faces and try to share their toys with us so we can participate in their joy.
While it’s pretty clear what your dog is trying to communicate with these types of behaviors, it’s not always that cut and dry with everything else they do! When it comes to your dog digging on your stomach and chest, many of us are baffled at first and left trying to figure out why they are doing this behavior and what they want from us.
Sometimes this digging can be annoying or even downright painful if you have a larger dog!
In this article, we will put our detective hats on and see if we can figure out why your dog is digging on your stomach or chest, and find out how to mitigate the behavior if you find it annoying or painful.
Let’s dig in!
Sometimes us humans take our ability to communicate in a spoken language for granted – imagine how difficult it would be to get your thoughts across without speaking or writing! Your dog is using the tools it has available to it to try and get your attention and sometimes convey a message.
Let’s see if we can find out what message your pet is trying to get across when they dig on your stomach!
They Want Attention
Number one, they might just want attention. Of course, this is kind of a catch-all reasoning and they most likely are seeking your attention for a certain reason. But it could just be that they are bored and want to play or want some pets and a belly rub.
Give your pet a little bit of attention, a few belly rubs and see if they chill out a bit. Dogs are a little bit like toddlers who just need a bit of love from you at times.
They Are Bored
Expanding on the reasoning above, your dog could be bored and have some excess energy they want to get out before lying down. A bored dog will make their own fun and find many different ways to burn off this energy!
If in addition to digging on your stomach, you find that your dog is also chewing on furniture, shredding pillows or causing general chaos throughout the house, it’s a good indication that your dog is bored with things and needs to get some energy out.
If they seem to be consistently bored, the best way to deal with this is by tiring them out more during the day. Take them for walks, play with them, let them run outside or have some playdates with other pups.
You could also try some mental stimulation like giving them food puzzles or challenging their intellect with fun brain games that also help to train them at the same time.
They Are Hungry or Thirsty
If your dog continues pawing at you and digging into you without letting up, it might be worth it to check their water bowl or see if it’s close to feeding time!
Your dog knows when it’s meal time and they will definitely remind you if you happen to forget. If you give them a chance, they will often lead you right to whatever they want.
Your Dog Wants Some Love
It’s very possible your dog is pawing you to get some pets and to be loved on. Come on, what is not to absolutely adore about this!
It shows that your dog is very comfortable and happy with you and in their surroundings, so give yourself a pat on the back for being such a good owner. Give them some belly rubs or a nice scratch and maybe cuddle up with them for a bit. Love is good for the soul!
They Don't Feel Secure
If you are sensing some anxiety in the way that your dog is digging on you or maybe they are whimpering at the same time, it might be because they aren’t feeling secure for some reason. Dogs are quite proficient at reading their surroundings and recognizing if something is amiss or just off in the environment.
There are several reasons for this, it could be that your dog is hearing a sound that you can’t hear, like thunder or loud bass in a car outside. If they are a rescue dog, it could be that something is reminding them of a painful past event.
If the behavior continues, it could be worth it to check your place to make sure everything is in order. Crate training, when done properly, is also a great way to help your dog feel more secure.
Anxiety
Similar to not feeling secure, dogs can get anxious when something in the environment is stressing them out. Some dogs are more prone to this than others, our family dog Penny was known to be an anxious wreck for all kinds of reasons, including loud sounds outside and if anything in her environment or schedule was just a little bit different.
There are several remedies to help with an anxious dog, and many of them rely on figuring out what’s causing the anxiety. You could try putting on some background noise like a TV or a white noise machine to help them relax, or try some herbal anxiety drops to help them chill out.
They Are Tired And See You As A Pillow!
It could be that your dog is ready to go to sleep and sees you as their pillow! They are fluffing up their pillow (you) for some rest and relaxation. This means that your pup feels safe and secure with you and truly loves you.
Sounds like it’s time to snuggle up with your best friend and get some shut eye! If your dog digs on you and then flops down for a snooze, you are now their pillow and must stay still to not disturb their sleep. It’s only right!
How To Stop Your Dog From Digging On You
The best way to stop your dog from digging on you is to learn how to identify what your dog is trying to tell you. Try to get a sense of if it’s a stressed or anxious response or if it’s your dog trying to get your attention.
This involves learning how to read your pets body language and get a feel for what they are trying to tell you. Of course every dog has their own personality too, so there can be a myriad of reasons for your pup’s actions!
If you are a new pet owner don’t worry, you will start to get used to the communication methods that your pet uses and get a better understanding of what they are trying to tell you. Start with just giving your dog a chance to lead you to whatever they are desiring or worrying about. Dogs will often direct you right to what they want if you give them a chance!
Another helpful tip is to remember to regularly trim your dog’s nails, preferably at the vet to ensure it is being done properly and without hurting them. This will help stop any scratching when they start digging into your chest or stomach.
If the digging becomes excessive or you just don’t like it, try giving your dog a strong No command every time they try to dig at you. This will take more than one try, but with enough practice they will learn not to do it.
If you are having trouble getting this behavior to stop or you feel like you could use more training help, this online dog training course is a great resource for learning more about stopping unwanted behaviors from your dog.
Conclusion
To me, it’s fascinating to learn about why dogs, and other animals, do what they do. Most of the time it’s a way to communicate, and by learning what certain behaviors mean we can start to “talk” with our animals and discover so much more about them.
When dogs dig on humans, beds or pillows there is usually something they are trying to say or accomplish, and by paying attention we can almost always figure it out.
I hope you enjoyed this article, thank you for reading and hope to see you around again!
