Why do Golden Retrievers Put Their Paw on You?

Why do Golden Retrievers put their paw on you? When my friend’s Golden Retriever recently put her paw up on my knee, I wondered, why do Goldens do that? So, I did some research to find out all the different reasons why Golden Retrievers put their paw on you.

So, why do Golden Retrievers put their paw on you? The most common reason that Golden Retrievers put their paw on you is that they crave human interaction. But there are many more reasons why Goldens paw people. Golden Retrievers are a very social breed. They love nothing more than connecting with their owners. Their pawing gets your attention and draws you away from whatever you were doing.

Many people think it’s pretty cute when their Golden Retriever puts a paw on them. But if this is something your pet does a lot, it could become tiresome and, in some cases, dangerous. Golden Retrievers have many reasons why they might want their owner’s attention. If you have a close relationship with your pet, it can be quite easy to understand why your dog has put her paw on you.

6 Reasons Why Golden Retrievers Put Their Paw on You

1. They Want You to Give Them Something

This pawing happens when you are holding your Golden Retriever’s rope, ball or stuffed toy in your hand. He puts his paw on your arm to let you know that he wants you to give it to him. For him, this is playtime. You have his toy, so this is a visual cue that you are ready for a game. 

Of course, it may not be as simple as that. It could be that his favorite tennis ball has somehow rolled behind the sofa and he can’t reach it. Golden Retrievers are intelligent dogs. Your pet can see that he can’t get the tennis ball out from behind the sofa himself. He is looking for somebody who can reach it for him. 

2. They Want Food

This pawing happens when you are enjoying a meal or a snack.

Your Golden Retriever likes the look of what you are eating. Often your dog will put his paw on, or near to your face to show that, this time, he doesn’t want to play. He wants to eat! 

This could also be your Golden Retriever’s way of telling you that it is time for his dinner. It could be that he is not asking for some of your meal, but he wants you to feed him. As a breed, Golden Retriever’s are very food-focussed.

This can be useful in training. It can also mean that you need to discourage your dog from getting too close while you are eating.

Experts say you should always eat your meal before you feed your dog. This shows you are the ‘top-dog’ in your household. This should help to teach your dog that pawing while you are eating is unacceptable.    

3. They Want to Be Petted

Have you ever noticed that if your dog wants you to pet him, he puts his paw on you?

And even while you are petting him, he will often continue pawing? Of course, when he does this, you give him the attention he is asking for.

Some say that by petting your Golden Retriever, you are rewarding this behavior. And so he learns that if he puts his paw on you, he will get petted. This suggests that if you stopped responding to his paw in this way, he would stop pawing you. 

It is important to remember that for your dog, petting is a reward. You may be rewarding his pawing, and you are also rewarding anything else he is doing at the time you pet him.

Experts recommend that you shouldn’t pet your dog until he is behaving well. Once he is sitting or lying at your feet this is the time to reward him with a pat. 

4. They Want to Go Outside 

One of the most common reasons why your Golden Retriever puts his paw on you is because he wants to go outside. Golden Retrievers are active dogs bred for hunting.

They need a lot of exercise to keep them happy. Experts say that you Golden Retriever needs at least 20-30 minutes of exercise twice a day. If your dog is young, he may need more than this. So, it is natural for your dog to ask to go outside.

It could be that your dog needs to go to the bathroom.

This is one example of a time when pawing could be a useful signal for you to understand. Of course, he might be asking to go outside for a run, or for you to throw a ball for him. It is valuable to recognize the difference between these two requests. If your Golden Retriever has already gone to the bathroom, he is telling you he wants to play, or he needs to go for a walk.

5. They are Apologizing

Golden Retrievers are the fourth most intelligent breed, according to canine psychologists. This intelligence means that they seem to be able to read human emotions.

If your dog has done something wrong, he can sense that you are angry with him. For a people-focused dog like the Golden Retriever, this is very unsettling. Some say that when your Golden Retriever puts his paw on you he is apologizing for what he has done wrong. 

Pawing can be your Golden Retriever’s way of saying he is sorry.

Dogs are pack animals. It is vital that they can make amends for anything they have done that may upset their status. A dog that is lower down in the pack needs the pack leader to forgive him.

Dogs can be very stressed by their owner’s anger, so it is advisable not to punish your Golden Retriever for too long. It is also important not to forgive him too quickly so he can understand what he has done wrong.  

6. They Are Trying to Dominate You

If your Golden Retriever is putting his paw on you too often, this could be a sign he is trying to dominate you.

One way to test this is to tell him “No.” If he does not listen to your command, this is a sign he is trying to assert his dominance.

Your dog puts his paw on you because he wants you to do something. If you do it every time, he will learn that this is the way to get what he wants. It is wise not to do exactly what your Golden Retriever wants every time he puts his paw on you.

This breed responds well to training and is eager to please. It should not be difficult to reaffirm your authority. Your dog is likely to feel more comfortable with you in the ‘alpha’ position. Experts say that dogs are happiest when they know their place in the pack.

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