What Does This "nudge" Mean?

[mydannyboy]

My boy Barney often nudges us with his rear end. He will either sit down with his back to us and then lift his bum or he does it from a standing crouch again nudging with his bum!

I think it's a kind of cute "I want something" nudge. Our Dylan doesn't do it.

Does anyone else's whippet do this? What do you think he's trying to communicate?

 

[DogzRUs]

My Lurcher does something like that but its not a nudge, she tends to stand in front of me facing outwards a lot, I hope its not an adaptation of standing over each other or she will be in bother I kind of think she is saying that I belong to her and she is guarding me, so long as thats all and not an invitation for anything weird lol.

I think that Barney is just trying to get your attention, or perhaps the invite to something weird...dogs are rather strange really :ermm:

 

[hanneroon]

haha! my boy does this A LOT, especially if he is cold.

For him, it is an invitation for you to scratch his back end, for which he will reward you with a little whippet dance, stamping his back feet. He will also do this to himself if he is wearing his coat, and will scratch his back on anything, he is constantly knocking my wheelbarrow over (i'm a gardener) and has been known to knock toddlers over trying to get them to scratch his back. I also work for a few elderly ladies, he heads straight at them and tries to itch his back on their knees! am constantly apologising, and trying to explain what he's doing.

"erm, he wants you to scratch his backside, sorry"

Dudes sweet spot is just over his hip bones, if there is no-one around to scratch him and no horizontal things to scratch on, he often ends up sitting down and up against a wall or whatever, it looks so odd, really really undignified.. :>

 

[mydannyboy]

Yes!!! Exactly that - the whippet dance stamping his back feet!!!

It's a whippety thing then - good to hear there are others like him

 

[Strix]

Not just a whippet thing our JRT used to do it too

 

[Tigernidster]

I was told it is a dominance thing. I'm in charge - look - I can give you a hip slam!! :*

 

[mydannyboy]

Mm. That does make sense. It's a proper hip slam too! He pins his ears totally back as well.

They're funny characters

 

[Meldelux]

My male does it to me and he also dances. My 2 female pups are doing it to to the older dogs, maybe it's presenting themselves, in a friendly way? My older female does it too, but, she wants me to massage her leg / hip area and she does a weird dance while turning to nibble my fingers, she loves having this done. I love my mad whippets with their quirky ways lol

 

[hanneroon]

i kind of think its a 'friendly' thing too. Presenting yourself backside first has to be a kind of non threatening behaviour, I reckon, if a little weird. As to the hipslam thing: Dude can be quite a prickly character to chums of his that are bigger than him. Coco his lovely springer friend often hip slams him, to encourage him to play, knowing he gets a fairly grumpy reaction if he charges him head on.

On the other hand, something coming up and asking for a scratch on the backside, and getting one...... Is definitely the dominant one in the situation eh? But if i'm not busy trying to do work i'm happy to oblige. I also scratch his face or ear, or wherever for him, if he's trying to do it with his own foot, after hearing him squeak when he catches a claw on his ear, or seeing him actually fall over trying to stand on three legs. He seems fairly grateful and will give me a little lick on the hand to say thanks.