Why does my dog put his paw on my face?

If your dog puts its paw on your face a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.

So, why does my dog put its paw on my face? Possible reasons why your dog puts its paw on your face are that it wants something from you, it is bored, it wants you to stop doing something, it’s copying your own behavior or that it has learned that it gets rewards for doing it.

Since there are a number of possible causes, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it should become easier to get yours to stop doing it.

Why your dog puts its paw on your face

Below are a number of reasons why your dog might have been doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

It wants something from you

The cause could be that it is trying to get something from you. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when you are eating or at around the same time that you would normally give it something such as food.

Boredom

The cause could be that it is bored and wants exercise. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more before getting exercise and it stops doing it after getting exercise. If it is healthy, it would help to ensure that your dog is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

Encouraging the behavior

It might also be the case that you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior by rewarding it. This would be more likely if you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention when it puts its paw on you. Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want and to try to redirect its focus when it is about to put its paw on your face.

It’s trying to alert you to something

The cause could be that it wants to alert you to something. This would be more likely if it does it at the same time that things happen such as when there is an unusual noise nearby and if it shows unusual body language when it does it.

It wants you to stop

If it does it when you are petting it then it might be doing it because it wants you to stop petting it. This would be more likely if it shows signs of discomfort such as pulling away from you, not wagging its tail or being stiff.

It’s copying you

If it hits you with its paw when you are petting it yourself it might be because it is mirroring you. Since you are being affectionate towards it by petting it, your dog might be trying to show that it appreciates it by also petting you.

Anxiety

The cause could be that it has some anxiety and it puts its paw on your face because it makes it feel safer. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more in situations where it might feel anxious.

If it normally does it at around the same time that you leave home, it would make it more likely that it does it because it has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if it shows signs of being anxious when you are leaving.

To get attention

The reason why it does it could be that it is looking for attention. This would be more likely if you tend to give it extra attention or things such as belly rubs when it does it.

If you want to get it to stop it would help to give it attention throughout the day but to avoid rewarding it with attention when it tries to put its paw on your face. It would also help to try to recognize when it is likely to try to do it and to redirect its focus onto something else.

Dominant behavior

Many people jump to the conclusion that their dogs do it because they are trying to be dominant. However, the alpha/beta dynamic has been disproven in studies showing that wolves take turns in taking the lead.

With that being said, it could be doing it due to bullying behavior which would be more likely if it tries to get you to move and if it shows signs of aggression when doing it. In this case, it would help to avoid giving it reasons to feel threatened and to get it to learn to behave the way you want it to with training programs such as NLIF (“Nothing in Life is Free) dog training.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What else happened when your dog first started putting its paw on your face

If it did not always put its paw on your face, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it since it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.

If it did start doing it suddenly it would be more likely to be due to things such as learning that it gets rewards when it does it or a sudden change in its daily schedule. It would help to consider what else changed when it first started doing it.

Whereas, if it has always done it then it would be more likely to be due to one of the things mentioned above.

What is different when it normally does it

It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that it tends to do it more. If there is then it would be more likely that the timing has something to do with it.

For example, if it tends to touch your face with its paw at around the same time that you would normally walk it then it would be more likely that it does it to remind you to walk it.

Consider the other body signs it is showing

It would also help to consider the other body language signs your dog shows when your dog does it.

If it is showing other signs of being happy such as leaning into you, wagging its tail and having a relaxed posture then it would be more likely to be doing it for a positive reason.

Whereas, if it shows signs of discomfort like pulling away, being stiff and not wagging its tail then it would be more likely that it wants you to stop.

What to do about your dog putting its paw on your face

Below are some options you have when getting your dog to stop doing it.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that it gets rewards for putting its paw on your face.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it is behaving the way you want it to and to try to redirect its focus when it seems likely to put its paw on your face.

Redirect its focus

One option would be to get it to focus on something else when it seems likely to start doing it. By doing so you should be able to get it out of the habit of doing it if it has been doing it for attention.

Give it exercise

It would also help to give it the recommended amount of exercise for its age and breed so that it is less likely to do things to stimulate itself.

Reduce reasons why it might be anxious

If it seems like it has been doing it due to being anxious, it would help to take measures to reduce why it might be anxious. Things to do could include making sure that it gets a chance to pee, eat and get exercise before leaving it.