# Does you dog like to be pet on the head?



## JerzeyGSD

Jerzey is so weird about being pet on the head... I understand that more dominant breeds do not like hands over their heads because they cannot see them and we advise any strangers to pet her chest. However, does anyone have a dog that also does this with you as their owner? Jerzey will snuggle up and try to crawl all over me to get me to pet her chest but she's not to keen on my reaching over her head... she just tries to follow me hand with her eyes, it's not like she _does _anything to prevent me from doing it.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has a dog that's similar.


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## BowWowMeow

It has nothing to do with more dominant breeds--dogs do not like be petted on the head (much like humans I would add, I don't particularly like being petted on the head). It is rude. Patricia McConnell talks about this in "The Other End of the Leash"

When I meet a dog I always try to pet them under the chin or on their sides.


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## Sahria

Inara doesn't like it. I tell anyone who wants to pet her to do it under her chin after she's smelled them. If people come in with their hands over her head she tries to mouth them, which is something I do not want.


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## JerzeyGSD

> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowdogs do not like be petted on the head (much like humans I would add, I don't particularly like being petted on the head).


Lol, good point.


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## rucker105

Zeke seems to enjoy being petted on the head, particularly scratched between his ears, which is a drastic change from a couple months ago when he didnt like being petted at all. His favorite spots are his hind quarters and his chest. I think Zeke just like the attention any way he can get it!


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## Rügen

Rugen doesn't mind being pet on the head. When I walk he comes up beside me and puts his head in my hand as we go. 

My previous GSD was 'sensitive' about a lot of things. So I've been a little over the top about desensitizing Rugen to being touched on the head, butt, front and back paws, muzzle, tail, manhood ect. Poor guy, I’ve been all over him since he was born. Though his vet couldn’t be happier it.


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## Zisso

Zisso doesn't care where I pet him so long as I leave his feet alone...it is like he is ticklish


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## DSudd

Rocky loves having his head scratched and petted. Also loves being petted under the chin also.


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## sleachy

When she was young, Tooz did not like to be pet on the head by me or anyone else for that matter. Nowadays, she readily accepts it and seems to enjoy it.


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## 3K9Mom

I -- gasp! -- disagree with Patricia McConnell on this. I think it's what a dog is used to, and how familiar he is with someone, what the nature of the relationship is with that person, and just his personal preference. 

Camper liked his head petted. He loved eyeball rubs though, where he'd close his eye, and I'd gently rub it with my palm. Zamboni likes a head rub, although after a while she'll move and reposition her head and body around until ultimately, I'm giving her an ear rub, which is the end-all-be-all to her. 

Meri is the only one that doesn't really like her head petted very much. She wants her chest scritched, or she'll roll over for a complete tummy rub. 

That doesn't mean that what my dogs accept and appreciate from me is what they like from my husband or another family member, much less what they'd accept from a stranger. Context matters too. Camper loved to have his tummy rubbed at home, but he wouldn't roll over in public for me to rub his tummy. 

I don't want a stranger even brushing up against my head slightly, but my husband stroking my hair is a tender loving gesture, and a deep scalp massage at a spa or by Dh when I'm stressed is heavenly.









I think it's like any of us: we just like what we like and don't like what we don't like. There aren't necessarily any "rules" that go with it, just like there aren't any rules about why we like certain foods, or sometimes, certain people or other dogs. We just do or we don't. 

That said, when I meet a dog I don't know, I usually rub their chest, mostly because it's less direct, and most dogs love it. 

But when Camper was a little pup, we met a woman who said she was a GSD breeder. She told us not to pet him on the head and not to let others do so either because GSDs HATE it. Well, yeah, if you never socialize a dog to something like being petted on the head, they'll never learn to accept it. So, we petted him on the head a lot, like we did all our other dogs. Turns out, she was wrong.


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## Cassidy's Mom

Lori, I agree. We pet our dogs heads all the time, and they seem to enjoy it. Not that pat pat pat thing on top of the head, but pretty much anything else, including this thing Tom does to Keefer where he grabs the skin at the top of his head and shakes it around. Sound weird, I know, but Keefer loves it!









But if I stranger approaches and tries to reach over his head he'll usually tip it back and try to sniff the hand, so I tell people it's best to pet him from under the chin, at the side of his face, or around his ears instead.


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## GSD07

My dogs love their heads touched by me. Yana hated it at first but I worked very hard to teach her to accept it just because I know that the very first reaction of any person or especially a kid is to pet the head. Not every one is knowledgeable about dog behaviours or my particular dog issues so I don't want any surprises.


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## aubie

It's hit or miss with Anna...we normally pet her on her back, sides, neck, belly. In the mornings when we do our "wake up time routine" she'll let me pet her ears/head.

Duncan, heck you can pet that dog anywhere, he ain't movin for hours...seriously...hours!


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## BowWowMeow

I meant the pat, pat thing on the head that people so annoyingly insist on doing to every dog they meet.









Although he accepts it from me, Rafi does not like other people to pet his head. He prefers the sides of his face, etc. And Chama pretty much only likes to be pet anywhere by people that she knows. Both like me to scratch their heads.


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## Amaruq

My guys don't mind if *I* do it either way (pat or pet) some will even ask me to scritch their head. KC and Chimo LOVE their "brain massages". One thing I started with my dogs when we were in SAR was to ALWAYS make sure they were accustomed to being pet/pat on the head simply because others do not know any better. I will actually extend my hand over their head and slowly pull it forward from their ears, over their eyes and over their muzzle. It has become a "term of endearment" between us. While I do not expect them to LIKE others touching their head I want to make sure they associate it in a positive way. I am now able to control ALL meetings with my dogs (not always possible with SAR dogs) and I guide people to petting them on their chest, under their chin or on their sides.


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## weber1b

Both of ours are fine with it, but I agree with BowWow, it is not the pat pat thing, it's more of a massage or scratch and they both love it. Clover especially likes me to scratch gently around the snout as well.


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## EJQ

All of our fur kids like to be scratched, rubbed and patted on their heads. Since our girls spend so much time around people it was part of their training. Especially for ARA. There's nothing more that the old folks in the nursing home like more than patting her on the head along with a "Oh my what a pretty dog".


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## Sherush

Seems so many strangers when they want to pet Jesse they try to pet his head and I always tell them to pet him under the chin or on the side, or back, and not to pet his head because he will back away, half listen, half don't. I never pet a strange dog on the head, every dog I meet I get down on my hunches to their side and pet them under the chin and talk nicely too them and they warm up to me and want more. I can pet Jesse on the head and loves it, it is just a stranger thing, he doesn't like it on the head.


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## LHunter82FXRS

Chico doesn't mind being petted on his head. He likes being scratch behind the ears and on top of his head. When it comes to strangers, though, he usually only allows being petted on his head or on the side of his face. He doesn't like people petting him on his back or side.


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## Branca's Mom

I pet them all over their heads and I often even rub up and down my guys muzzles. They lay their ears back and their eyes get all relaxed.... they love it. Soon as I stop, they flip my hand up to say "please keep petting, eh?"


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## mmarie

Angel (my first GSD) loved when I massaged the base of her ears, that was her absolute favorite.

Bella's favorite is her belly, with her head being second. She likes when I scratch the center of her head from her eyes to her ears or when I pet using my whole hand even if where I start covers her eyes or when i scratch up and down the center of her muzzle. I know she likes it because when I stop she does everything she can to get her head back under my hand so I'll continue. Her only real dislikes are her ears being played with (not agressive, just gets up and walks away) and her paws being held (she tries to pull them away, and if you put your hand on top of her paw she'll pull her paw out and pit it on top of your hand). Both dislikes formed after fairly serious injuries--she's quite accident prone.

Duke will let you pet him anywhere, any time. He's such a lover. His head, paws, belly, tail--anything you want to pet or scratch, he wants you to pet or scratch. And boy is he sad when you decide to stop. I think the only time he doesn't want to be pet and scratched and loved on is when he has a marrow bone.


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## rubmybelly

What a great question! I sort of made him like being pet on the head. He wouldn't sit still long enough to allow this when he was younger, so whenever he would stand in front of our door to get out, I'd pet his head and, since he couldn't really avoid it, he started to get the idea that it wasn't half bad. Now you can pet him on the head.

He still doesn't like having his paws messed with much, though.


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## doggiedad

you pet my dog anywhere but i had a GSD that you
couldn't hug around the neck.


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## AQC82

Rocco loves to be petted on the head especially behind the ears. His all time favorite spot though is his chest.


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## bergwanderkennels

Bernhard Flinks actually changed my mind on this for a reward for my GSD I now pet her direction of the fur growth under her chin. But Bernhard Flinks also said some dogs this does not apply to like my boxer who loves a good rub on his velvet head!


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## HAROLD M

My dog Duke dont really care where u pet him as long as u dont pat him and move around his head with an unsteady hand ,he likes it if u just simply pet him not the pat pat pat thingy people do.he loves his ears being rubbed alot .pretty much dont care about anything yet he is only 6 months old


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## Rei

Whenever I reach over Trent's head, he thinks I'm going to hand him a treat and reaches up to lick my hand. He loves being scratched on the top of the head and ears, though.


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## SusiQ

Both of mine will "head butt" me until I pet their heads - and everywhere else!


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## Mary Jane

Dear Wolf likes his jaw rubbed, his skull massaged, the base of his ears scratched, a very slow, firm stroke along his spine, his stomach rubbed, the base of his tail scratched, and a kiss on top of his snout. He is pretty good natured about a smacking noisey kiss on the top of his skull between his ears.

No, he doesn't like pat pat pat on top of his head.

MJ


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## Chicagocanine

Yes Bianca likes being pet on the head, or even better being scratched right on the top of the head between the ears! Sometimes when I am walking her I will walk with my hand on her head.


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## sunnyej

Afghan loves his head scratched and petted


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