Dogs kicking their legs may be uncontrolled

Perhaps we will find such an interesting phenomenon, that is, when we scratch the belly of the dog, if we touch a certain position, they will move or kick their legs involuntarily. The owner found this scene very interesting and scratched it harder. Does the dog feel really happy when it behaves like this, or is it an instinctive reaction?

The reason why the dog reacts like this is because there is a place called "Sweet Spot" on the dog's belly, which is located on the dog's belly or Near the abdomen, when we scratch our dogs, their legs will move involuntarily. Most owners can successfully find this position after many attempts. So when I get bored, I will scratch it and think it is a very interesting thing.

It is indeed very interesting to watch when a dog does such an action. It turns out that it is a self-protection system called "scratch and shoot", a kind of A reflection of the uncontrollable premise. The reason why dogs have this protection system is to keep away harmful bugs and irritants. In some areas under the dog's skin, there is a nerve pathway that connects to the spinal cord. When these nerves are activated, whether it is scratching or itching, they will immediately send signals to the spinal cord, and the spinal cord will immediately produce a kicking reaction. For some dogs, if the scratching feeling becomes more intense, the kicking reaction will become more obvious.

If your dog kicks, you might as well change your position and stroke it

Lore Haug, a veterinarian and animal behavior expert with the Texas Veterinary Action Agency, said, "Dogs with allergies have more obvious reactions and can easily cause scratching and irritation because these dogs are itchy almost everywhere on their bodies." , "But if the moreRub their skin and the scratching sensation becomes more intense. Haug said scratching is a way for animals to protect themselves from physical irritants, especially invasive insects that may carry disease. For example, if a dog has lice on its skin, The itching sensation caused by these lice will activate scratching reflexes, or kicking your legs can remove some lice and slowly relieve the source of the itching sensation.

This reflex is similar to that in humans. The reflexes we see are very similar, and the reflexes in our bodies are generally used to protect ourselves. "For example, if we accidentally encounter a hot stove, the spinal cord first detects pain before the brain detects pain, so that you don't feel it. Retract your hand voluntarily," Haug said. "You have to wait until your brain realizes that there is an injury. The time difference in response is enough to hurt you, and sometimes it can even kill you. "The scratching reflex can help doctors determine if a pet is mentally damaged, just like doctors try our knee-jerk reflexes. And since the scratching reflex is used to remove pesky bugs from the body, if the dog is reacting badly, it may not be because of They like it when we do it

If dogs feel comfortable, they often appear very calm, for example, when we touch their bellies. There will be no resistance, and they will appear to be enjoying themselves. Some dogs will even squint their eyes. If the dog's reaction is relatively large, we'd better change the position to pet the dog to avoid causing discomfort to them. .

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