You can tell a lot about your dog simply by his body language, whether it’s from his sleeping position or by wagging his tail. Little things like this can reveal a lot.
However, sometimes we can misinterpret these signs and understand them completely differently from what they actually mean.
A common one is when our furry friend lies down on his stomach. We often assume that the dog wants a belly scratch, but that is not always the case.
Una McEvoy is a qualified and insured dog trainer and the founder of Walkies with Una, a team of qualified dog trainers and walkers offering dog walking and online or in-person training services.
With her years of expertise, she revealed what exactly it means when a dog shows its belly to a human, and it’s not just one.
She told me Express.co.uk: “If a dog shows his belly in a very friendly way, ‘can you pet my belly,’ he immediately rolls onto his back or lies completely flat on his side, and then he wants a belly scratch.”
So while a dog lying on his back may mean he’s happy with a belly scratch, that’s not the only reason, and it’s important we keep that in mind.
Ms McEvoy added: “There are two different ways they can roll over. One means ‘I want my stomach scratched’, and the other means ‘Please don’t push him any further.’”
While a dog showing its belly to a human can also be a sign of trust, she also emphasized that it is important to realize that every dog is different. Using the example of her German Shepherd, she explained that she was able to show her belly even during the first meeting because she had “no reason not to trust people.”
However, she revealed that if you own an international rescue, you might have to wait five or six years for it to do the same, because not all dogs have “a good history with people.”
She continued, “But generally it is said that if a dog lets you touch his belly, it is a sign that he is happy, confident and trusts you. It all comes down to trust.”