Why Do Golden Retrievers Put Their Paws on You?

As you have your Golden Retriever in your home, you will start to notice a few of the habits that they like to do. 

They may follow you around, bark at certain things, and whine when they want to go outside. 

One of the things that you may see and wonder about with this breed is when they put their paw on you. 

But why does the Golden Retriever put their paws on you?

Why Do Golden Retrievers Put Their Paws on You?

Golden Retrievers put their paws on you to get attention, social interaction, communicate, get something from you, or ask for help. Paying attention to what is going on with your dog when they put their paw on you will help you to be successful in determining why the dog is doing this. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the different reasons why a Golden Retriever is putting their paw on you to help you get started with understanding your dog better than before. 

Why Do Golden Retrievers Put Their Paws on You?

Everyone knows that a golden retriever is going to have a tendency to get excited and enthusiastic about some of the things that they need to do each day.

Their adventurous spirit is one of the main reasons why so many families love them.

Their body language is often easy to understand and it is easy for the owners to figure out why the dog is sad or happy. 

However, when the dog starts to use their paws to touch their arms and legs, it is hard to figure out what is wrong. 

This is often a sign that your dog will want something from you.

 There are actually a lot of reasons why this dog breed is going to put their paw on you. 

Some of these include:

They Want Social Interaction

If you find that this dog is pawing at you often, it may be a sign that they would like to interact with you. 

When they paw at you, they are trying to get your attention away from something else that you are doing in order to get the attention back to them. 

It is often successful because the owner will stop what they are doing and take a look at the dog as well. 

You Have Something They Want

You will probably find out pretty quickly that your dog loves toys. 

They will probably have one that is their favorite like a ball, a stuffed animal, and a Frisbee.

If your pet is pawing at you, check to see whether you are holding either of those things and see if they want it from you. 

This could also mean that they know where a special toy is, but they are unable to access it.

This often happens when the toy is out of their reach. 

When the dog chooses to paw at you, they are trying to get your attention so you will go to fetch the toy for them. 

They may even want you to spend some time playing with them. 

They Want to Eat What You Have

If you have some food in your hand and the dog is pawing at you, this is a sign that your dog would like what you are eating

. This breed likes to eat everything and anything and this makes them a very food-motivated breed. 

If you see that the pet dog is touching your arm with their paw while you have something to eat, this is a good sign that they would like to have a little bit of it too. 

This could also be a good sign that the dog is hungry and would like you to feed them, This can happen when it is near lunch or dinner time, even if you are not holding onto any food at all. 

You should consider giving them some food to see if that is what they are looking for too. 

They Want You to Pet Them

All dogs love to get attention and love from their owners. 

And one of the ways that you can express that they love a lot is to pet them, ruffle at the fur, and stroke them affectionately. 

They will signal that this is something they need through some of their behavioral cues. 

They may put their paws on you when they want you to stop doing something and put their paws on you. you may notice this behavior when you are sitting down to do some work.

This is their main way to communicate that they need some attention from you. 

They Need Assistance

Another reason that the dog may put their paw on you is that they need some assistance. 

They need you to help them out with something. 

There are times when this dog is playing with a toy, such as their tennis ball, and the ball gets stuck somewhere. 

By using their paw to touch you, they will try to seek your assistance to get the ball out of the tough spot. 

Other times, they may use their paws to help tell you they want to go for a walk, go to the park, go outside, or do something else. 

You will need to pay attention to what they are trying to do to figure out how you can provide them with some of the assistance that they need. 

This will help you to respond well and give them the attention that they need. 

They Want to Apologize

Dogs can even apologize to humans to show that they are sorry about something. 

You will quickly find that dogs tend to communicate in some of the strangest ways to their owners. 

When you can tell that this dog breed is upset or happy, they are able to understand some of your emotions. 

This means they can tell when you are mad at them because they misbehaved and didn’t follow your rules. 

One of the reasons that the Golden Retriever is putting their paw on you is because they would like to apologize for their behavior. 

When they touch your arm or leg with their paw, they are showing you some of the warmth that they have and letting you know they are sorry in the only way they can. 

They Want a Reward

And finally, the Golden Retriever is going to use their paws to let you know they want a reward. 

When the dog is pawing at you or another member of the home, they expect you to stop what you are doing, focus on you, and then give them some kind of reward. 

This could be in the form of attention or a treat or even petting them. 

The dog will feel rewarded and happy when you do this. 

Can My Golden Retriever Use Their Paws Too Much?

For the most part, the Golden Retriever will only use their paws on occasion to get your attention or for a little bit of love if you have been busy or gone all day. 

This can be a cute way for the dog to get your attention and not feel like they are ignored all of the time. 

However, there are times when the dog may use the pawing too much or in an aggressive way, and it is important to get them to stop. 

One issue is that this pawing can be a sign of dominance.

If the dog is doing it too much and does not stop, even when you ask them to, it is a sign that they are trying to be dominant. 

You will need to do some training to get them to stop so they do not think they are in charge. 

If they paw often at guests or kids, some training on the proper behavior is going to be necessary too. 

There are times when this pawing can be dangerous for you or the dog. 

If the dog has a big claw, then this could cut you and be dangerous to your skin.

This is even more of a risk if there is a baby or little kids in the home that they try to paw on. 

The good news is that the Golden Retriever is an easy dog to train so you can often get them to stop the paying with just a little patience and practice. 

You can determine when the pawing becomes too much and then work with the Golden Retriever is going to need to stop with the pawing. 

Giving Your Dog the Attention They Need

There are many reasons why your Golden Retriever will want to use their paws. 

It is often to get your attention for one reason or another. 

Learning some of the cues of your dog and how to respond to the paws and give them what they need when they decide to sue their paws on you.