Manuela Bianchi If the dog raises its front paw, the explanation for its behavior must be sought in context: there are many reasons why it does so. And not all of them are positive. So look at the dog as a whole, check the other signals it sends you and you will understand the reason for this attitude
@Canva
Table of contents
You might have noticed the tendency of the dogs lifting their fore leg in different circumstances. This occurs for numerous reasons, and the message being delivered can change based on the situation. To thoroughly interpret this kind of language in dogs, it is crucial to assess the context and the various other body postures the dog is portraying.
Reasons a dog lifts its front paw
There may be numerous reasons why one of a dog’s front paws may be raised. If it is normally a method of communication, then a dog tends to have a favorite paw. If, on the other hand, the cause is due to pain or trauma, then it will be the affected paw involved.
Attention seeking
Other dogs, however, learn to lift their front paw for attention and affection because we have accidentally rewarded it. If a dog learns that lifting a paw leads to cuddles or playtime, he may use this gesture quite a lot to ask for attention. Sometimes they even do this to invite other dogs to play.
In these cases, the dog will generally be relaxed, happy, and calm.
Pointing behaviour amongst hunting dogs
Hunting dogs are renowned for assuming this postures when they catch sight of their prey. They raise the front paw, stretch the body forward, and point the nose in the direction of the target. The “pointing” posture may be maintained for a fairly long period of time.
That this may occur during hunting itself is perfectly normal, particularly for dogs like the Bracco Italiano, Pointers and Weimaraners. However if one’s puppy points at cats, small dogs, or other animals as well, that predatory attitude will have to be stopped before actual aggressiveness begins to set in.
Pointing attitude of herding dogs
Some herding breeds, such as the Border Collies, also use a raised front paw to indicate the direction in which the herd shall head. The stance is similar to hunting dogs-eye and nose towards the selected direction, front leg up, and body tense and rigid.
Raised Paw and Aggression
Be cautious-sometimes insecure, fearful, or anxious dogs raise their front paw not to ask for affection or point at prey but as a sign of discomfort. This may be the dog’s way of saying stop doing whatever it is that’s bothering them. If we do nothing and the warning goes unheeded, the dog may resort to an aggressive display that can include a bite.
Generally, the dog will display some other signs of discomfort as well: avoiding eye contact, laying their ears back, or tucking their tail between their legs.
Pain and a raised front paw
Pain can be demonstrated if the dog lifts its front paw after a walk or stiffly up in the morning due to injury, foreign object inclusion such as a grass seed, fractured dewclaw, severe interdigital dermatitis, burns from hot pavement, and many other causes.
It will most likely be exhibiting other symptoms, such as limping or over-licking that area of its body.
What to do if your dog lifts its front paw?
This really depends upon the context and what other signals your dog is giving you, as discussed earlier. If you can see the dog is lifting its front due to pain, such as from an injury during a walk or perhaps a broken dewclaw, you should take them to the vet because such things are very painful and will require due treatment.
If your dog is happy, playful, and raises their paw with a wish to be stroked or cuddled, you may yield to your dog’s desires. But if the dog points at game, then unless it is a hunting dog in the process of a hunt, it would be better to distract it and prevent targeting a cat or another dog.
Be more vigilant in case your dog raises its front paw because of some uncertainty or insecurity. If you don’t pay attention to the signs that the dog wants you to leave it alone, it will move to aggression, in this case, and can even bite.
