Q: How do I know if my dog wants a belly rub or is being submissive?
A: Dogs expose their bellies for two main reasons:
- As a submissive display (otherwise known as an appeasement display)
- As a request for a belly rub
It’s important to know what the dog is telling you before you automatically go for the belly rub.
Dogs adopting a submissive display are trying to diffuse social tension by indicating that they are not a threat. Petting a dog in this scenario can make the dog even more tense and nervous, because now you are touching him in a very vulnerable part of his body.
Dogs who actually want a belly rub will generally show the following body language signs:
- Overall: loose, relaxed body postures
- Mouth: relaxed, open mouth, floppy tongue
- Eyes: open or slightly closed, bright
- Tail: relaxed and wagging
- Vocalisations: maybe a light panting sound or silent
In contrast, a dog who is showing submissive behaviour will show the following signs:
- Overall: tense, low body posture, crouching, freezing
- Mouth: lips pulled back in a ‘fear grimace’ or lips and mouth closed, may see lip-licking and tongue flicking
- Eyes: wide open and staring into the distance, or showing the whites of their eyes, or squinty, tense eyes
- Tail: may be still or wagging but will have tension in the base of the of the tail, or the tail may be tucked
- Vocalisations: quiet or soft whining
