Raising a paw in appeasement?

Saeleofu

Active Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
9,036
Likes
0
Points
36
#1
So Monday at my second Rally class, my dog was pulling his "if I wave enough maybe I'll get a cookie" stunt. The trainer told me he was trying to appease me, and that raising a paw is a sign of submission.

I've never heard that before. Is it really? I mean, I know my dog better than to belive her in my case, because he really does try to wave at every chance he gets because he thinks there's a chance of getting an extra cookie. I need to give the waving a rest for a while so he can do a front without trying to get a bonus :rofl1:
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
1,341
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Texas
#2
Raising a paw is an appeasement, or calming gesture. You can read your dog better than a stranger though, and if you think he was waving, then he probably was.

Either way, it shows he had too much time between activities to either sit and stress (stress can be good, excitement) or to start offering behaviors. You might want to work on a "chill out" command/behavior, so that in his downtime he can relax instead of sit there offering behaviors.
 

mrose_s

BusterLove
Joined
Mar 27, 2005
Messages
12,169
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
34
Location
QLD, Australia
#3
Harry uses his paws a lot to start play with dogs "above" in the hierarchy. He used to with Buster and now with Sophie he will dance around her and put his paw out and ocasionally whack her acros the nose with it.

Mac does the same with Buster and occasionally Sophie. Jumping around him and using her paws all over the place to get his attention. It does seem to be a bit of a submissive gesture in our dogs but I havn't really thought about it before.
 

Saeleofu

Active Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
9,036
Likes
0
Points
36
#4
Now that I think about it, I have seen dogs raise their paws for that reason. That's not what my dog was doing - he was definitely waving. But it is good to understand it either way.

He was doing it every time I had him do a front. His butt hits the ground and he waves. It's because we've worked on wave way too much lately in comparison with other behaviors. And it's an easy behavior, so it's one he chooses when he first starts offering behaviors. Between exercises, I have him down and chill, and he's fine. He just thinks "wave" is synonymous with "sit" :rolleyes:
 

mrose_s

BusterLove
Joined
Mar 27, 2005
Messages
12,169
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
34
Location
QLD, Australia
#7
lol Buster and harry also use "wave" whenever they arn't sure of what I;m asking. its kind of an "if in doubt... try this!" thing. lol
 

corgipower

Tweleve Enthusiest
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
8,233
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
here
#8
Raising a paw can mean so many things...it can be appeasement, it can be initiating play, it can be rude and pushy, it can be attention seeking, it can be a cute parlor trick in hopes of treats. It really depends on the context.
 

Beanie

Clicker Cult Coordinator
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
14,012
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
39
Location
Illinois
#9
Do you get points docked in Rally for your dog waving to you? :lol-sign:
No, but you do get points docked if your dog gives you a high-five thereby touching you. :rolleyes: Thanks Auggie...


Kota was a frantic appeasement paw waver. But yeah, you know your dog best and you will know his body language!
 

lizzybeth727

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
6,403
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Central Texas
#10
Raising a paw can mean so many things...it can be appeasement, it can be initiating play, it can be rude and pushy, it can be attention seeking, it can be a cute parlor trick in hopes of treats. It really depends on the context.
^^^That.

Pawing is also highly self-reinforcing for most dogs... they just like doing it. If you teach a dog a behavior that involves pawing, chances are they will fall back on that behavior if they don't know what else to do. That's how I can tell if someone's taught their dog "shake," the dog will paw when it's meeting new people. IME it's very difficult to put pawing on stimulus control.
 

Southpaw

orange iguanas.
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
7,788
Likes
1
Points
38
Age
32
Location
Minnesota
#11
Eh, I think it'd depend on the context. Juno is always trying to high-five me (so it becomes more of a wave), but I figure it's just her offering a behavior, and the fact that she's a boxer and using their paws is just what they do. lol.
 

Saeleofu

Active Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
9,036
Likes
0
Points
36
#12
Do you get points docked in Rally for your dog waving to you? :lol-sign:
She said in a front, they won't count it as a front unless all 4 paws are on the ground. So yeah :rolleyes:

And part of it is that he's a boxer, and paws are everything. That's why it took ages for me to teach him to retrieve. And he still likes to smack things before he actually picks them up :lol-sign:
 

Doberluv

Active Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
22,038
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
western Wa
#13
You can put shaking paws, high five or some other kind of pawing trick on stimulus control, just as you do anything.......by never reinforcing it unless cued. The problem is....it's hard to get everyone the dog does this to, to behave themselves. You then have the added job of putting their behavior on stimulus control. :D

Like it was said, it can be a calming signal or appeasement. It can be that it's been a behavior that was reinforced a lot in the past (un-cued) so he may be trying it out to see if he can win a reward, like you thought. You have to take these things in context.

Sometimes trainers who don't really know behavior all that well hear something like this and then assign it to your dog regardless of the context. (that's learning by rote) I see this a lot. Yawning is also a calming signal, as is scratching or lying down, turning the head to the side. But that doesn't mean that everytime a dog yawns or lies down, he's giving you a calming signal. LOL. So, just because your dog put up his paw, doesn't mean it was an appeasement gesture.
 

sparks19

I'd rather be at Disney
Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
28,563
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
42
Location
Lancaster, PA
#14
I agree it can mean so many things

With Beezer it is appeasement just like with most things he does.

with Belle it's a "HEY... I'mh ere... look at me... are you gonna pet me now... can I have a cookie? Hellooooooooooo" LOL
 

babymomma

Remembering Casey ♥
Joined
Mar 29, 2009
Messages
2,422
Likes
1
Points
38
Age
31
Location
canada
#15
hmmm.. My aunts lab Puppeh Paws for keely after keely puts her in her place.. Keely is the alpha B*tch.. Emphasis on the b*itch part.. Maybe it is a submissive thing.
 

Romy

Taxiderpy
Joined
Dec 2, 2006
Messages
10,233
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Olympia, WA
#16
Charlie is super submissive. He will sit and then lift one paw if he's not sure what we want him to do. Not that he's worried about us attacking him or anything. It's just one of his default behaviors if he isn't sure what we want at that moment, sort of a polite, non threatening display. He makes it look super cute too. Sit down, one foot up, ears pricked, head tilt. lol. Then again, he's a pointer and so many things are point-worthy. The cat, Aurelia, his food, his toys, quail, the cows, etc.
 

Members online

Top