Guide to petting dogs and cats without disturbing them

Dogs and cats love caresses, but in order to do it successfully, we must take into account some tips in this regard. Not all areas of the body are the same when it comes to receiving a caress.

The preferences of dogs

—For a dominant dog, the best caress, and that will not confuse its role in the herd or in the multispecies family, will be the one that begins at the tip of the muzzle and ends behind the ears through the entire head.

—By stroking the back or patting the sides in a sidekick attitude, we are imitating two dogs when they play and touch each other alternately with their paws. It is a caress that can have a dominant but not authoritarian characteristic, it involves saying “I am your master, but I am willing to share moments of play and pleasure with you”.

“A caress on the chin will also be welcome and timely.

—If a dog gets belly up and we scratch that area we will be at the height of supremacy and pleasure reaffirming our role in the whole.

—A caress on the chest, full of pleasure receptors due to the dominance of the mating position, will not be ideal for that dog that has a hierarchical position not fully clarified or is in dispute over its role in the herd.

When we caress some areas of their body where a large number of nerve endings are concentrated, they feel a sense of pleasure that will be demonstrated by their complacent body attitude.

Of course, if at some point the dog is upset and wants to escape the situation, we should not insist. Your well-being is the most important thing.

The preferences of cats

“Cats like caresses, but in their right measure and only when they want.

“Now, we must know where to do them and when to finish this task, because if we touch any of its most sensitive areas or do not understand the “enough”, we will most likely get a good scratch or bite.

“They tend to have a preference to receive caresses under the chin, as long as we do them gently.

—Of course, there are hypersensitive cats that you also have to know that they don't want any more at the fourth or fifth caress.

Before we caress our dog or cat, we must have a relationship of trust with them, so that we can interpret their body language.

When the cat starts wagging its tail and tells you: “don't bother me, don't bother me”, don't keep insisting, because the cat, unlike the dog, is not a gregarious animal that needs a leader, the cat shares your life.

The cat way of seeing life is what you have to understand when it comes to wanting to caress it. Don't force it, because he's telling you somehow when he assaults you: “You didn't get the message”, “I wanted to play with you with the rod, I wanted to play with the ball, and you're caressing me, bothering me.”

So if at some point we perceive that the dog or cat is tense or uncomfortable, we must stop immediately. Respect must prevail in our relationship.

But, if everything shows that he is enjoying himself, we can continue to share this moment and use it to strengthen the bond of friendship and trust between us.

To understand the code of caresses is to return to the essence, to the origin, it is to become a little more animal. We should not be afraid, animals do not skimp or pervert caresses, on the contrary, they use them, enjoy them and live with them the happiness of using their bodies to the fullest. It seems that when it comes to dogs and humans, a caress does not seem to be just and simply a caress.

*Prof. Dr. Juan Enrique Romero @drromerook is a veterinary physician. Specialist in University Education. Master's Degree in Psychoimmunoneuroendocrinology. Former Director of the Small Animal School Hospital (UNLPAM). University Professor at several Argentine universities. International lecturer.

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