What does it mean when a dog paws at its owner?

There are several meanings behind a dog pawing at its owner:

waking up the owner
seeking attention
discomfort in its paws
expressing guilt and apologizing
hunger
wanting to shake hands or high five
asking for help

Dogs cannot speak, so they use various physical gestures to express their needs, such as pawing at their owners. This is a normal behavior for dogs.

waking up the owner

In the morning, when a dog wants to go outside to pee, it will paw at its owner on the bedside, urging them to get up and take it for a walk.

seeking attention

If the owner ignores the dog for a long time and is always busy with their own affairs, the dog will come over and paw at them to get their attention. The dog is simply seeking attention and wanting the owner to play with it.

discomfort in its paws

If a dog's nails are too long, it will feel uncomfortable and its paws may slip while walking. Therefore, they will paw at the owner's sleeve, hoping that the owner will help trim their nails. Be sure to regularly trim your dog's nails.

expressing guilt and apologizing

Dogs are intelligent. When they realize they have done something wrong and make their owner unhappy, they will lift their paw and gently paw at the owner, meaning, "I'm sorry, don't be angry." They hope the owner will forgive them.

hunger

Dogs are greedy eaters. When the owner is eating, the dog will paw at them, wanting some of the food. However, human food contains a lot of oil and salt, which is not good for dogs to eat too much. It's okay to stop this behavior occasionally to let the dog know that pawing won't get them food. But remember to feed your dog regularly three times a day. If the dog is hungry, it will also paw at you asking for food.

wanting to shake hands or high five

Many owners teach their dogs to shake hands or high five, and give treats as rewards when they perform these actions. Over time, the dog learns that these actions can earn them treats. So they will paw at the owner, hoping to exchange these actions for delicious food.

asking for help

When a dog encounters trouble, gets bullied, or wants something it can't reach, it will paw at its owner, hoping for assistance. If your dog eagerly paws at you and stares at one spot, go help it right away.