Why Do Dogs Like Belly Rubs So Much?

One of the most joyous parts of owning a pet is cuddling. Many dogs seem to love having their bellies rubbed. They happily flop on their backs, tongue lolling and tail wagging as they await tummy scratches. However, some dogs do this to send a message and are not asking for belly rubs. Learn why some dogs love belly rubs while others don't.

Why Do Dogs Expose Their Bellies?

Dogs roll on their back and expose their bellies to us for two main reasons: as a display of appeasement, and as a request for a belly rub. It's important to know what your dog is telling you before you go in for belly rubs.

A dog adopting an appeasement gesture (also called a submissive display) is trying to diffuse social tension by showing that they're not a threat. If you pet a dog who's showing submissive or appeasing behaviors, it can make the dog more nervous because you're now touching him in very vulnerable parts of his body.

Asking For Belly Rubs

Dogs who actually want belly rubs will generally show the following body language signals:

• Body is loose and wiggly
• Mouth is relaxed and open—you might see their tongue flopping around
• Eyes are open or squinty, bright and not necessarily staring at anything
• Tail is relaxed and may be wagging
• Vocalizations may occur, such as a "ha-ha" sound as they "laugh" or a light panting sound; silence is normal as well

Appeasement Display

In contrast, a dog who is showing submissive or appeasing behavior will look like this:

• Body is tense and low—they may crouch, freeze, or tense up
• Mouth is tense with lips pulled far back in a "fear grimace," or lips and mouth may be closed, you may see lots of lip-licking and tongue-flicking
• Eyes are wide open and staring into the distance or squinty and tense; the dog may show the whites of their eyes as they look at you without turning their head
• Tail may be still or wagging, but will have tension in the base of the tail and the tail may be tucked
• Vocalizations may occur as soft whining, or the dog may be quiet

Most people find it easiest to watch the dog's tail and mouth but keep in mind that a wagging tail doesn't equal a happy dog. A tucked, stiff, fast tail wag is not the same as a full-body, loose tail wag!

Why Do Dogs Love Belly Rubs?

It probably feels really good to get rubs and scratches in a hard-to-reach area. Dogs can scratch their own shoulders, necks, and heads with their hind feet, but they really don't have a good way to scratch their own tummies. Some dogs will even kick one or both legs during a belly rub—this is a normal action called a scratch reflex.

Many dogs also enjoy rolling on carpet or grass to scratch their backs. Anecdotally, it seems that many dogs seem to enjoy getting a belly rub while they also scratch their backs. Think of how nice it feels to have someone rub your back or scratch an itch that you can't reach. No wonder dogs love getting a helping hand with their belly rubs.

How to Give a Great Belly Rub to a Dog

Not all dogs love belly rubs. Most dogs don't always want a belly rub, either. If your dog doesn't love belly rubs or doesn't want one right now, it's no big deal. Some dogs just aren't into it, or maybe your dog just isn't in the mood.

Many dogs really only enjoy belly rubs in the morning when serotonin levels are highest, or when they're really relaxed.

You can help your dog love belly rubs even more by learning how to give a good belly rub. Here are the basic steps to giving an excellent belly rub, which are modified from the pat-pet-pause protocol for petting dogs:

1. Watch to see if your dog is asking for a belly rub. Check the body language listed above. If your dog doesn't seem to want a belly rub right now, don't push it. The best way to teach your dog to trust you and love belly rubs is to respect him when he says "No, thank you."

2. Kneel down. Keep your body language loose and relaxed at first.

3. Rub the belly! Try open-palmed, fingernails-in, circular, or even patting motions. After three to five seconds, stop petting.

4. See what your dog does next. If he paws at you, stays put, or otherwise shows that he'd like more petting, go back in for more. If he gets up and leaves, belly rubs are over.

5. Try changing up what sort of petting you use and see what different results you get. You might be surprised to find a new type of belly rub that your dog loves even more.

The most important thing is to respect your dog's wishes and pet him the way he'd like to be petted. If you read your dog's body language, you will ensure your dog loves belly rubs even more than he already does!