Are poodles ticklish? Yes and no. Well, it all depends on where on the poodle body you decide to tickle.
Oftentimes simply rubbing on your poodle belly will definitely make him wiggle and jiggle with lots of excitement and by running on a certain area will make your dog hind leg begins to happily kick. This is why lots of people is wondering if poodles are ticklish just as us humans.
Are Poodles Ticklish?
Yes, there’s no doubt that poodles can be ticklish. The tickle response is known to be gargalesis, which is known to be in humans and other animals such as primates and rats and there’s no doubt that dogs actually have this reaction to light tickling.
Where Are Poodle Ticklish?
It might be a case where you are wondering if there are specific places on your dog where they are ticklish, similar to how some people may feel ticklish when you rub on their feet. If you want to know exactly where a dog ticklish spot is, there are a few places on their body where you can try and see how they react. One thing you’ll definitely find is that your dog ticklish spot is pretty much the same as us humans ticklish spots.
These spots includes:
- Armpits
- Neck
- Paw Ears
- Their Back
Read: Can Poodles Cause Asthma
My Dog Kicks Their Leg When I Scratch Them, Are They Ticklish?
It might not always be the case. The thing is that some dogs tend to have certain spots on their body that when you eventually scratch them, you’ll probably make them tense up a bit and start kicking their hind leg. Some people see these as tickle spots, but these are just sensitive areas that is link to similar feelings but they are not necessarily feeling ticklish.
If it’s a case where your you’ve found such spot on your poodle, you may notice that they begin to kick their leg and thump their foot like they are scratching in mid air, and basically that’s what they are doing. This is said to be a scratch reflex and your dog can’t seems to control it. It’s safe to say that there are similar reaction when it comes to human known as knismesis.
With that said, this reaction is a bit different but it works in a similar way to when you hit your knee and jerk your leg. What happens at this point is the scratching sensation plays a role in stimulating the nerves under the skin which sends signals to their spinal cords, which alert your brain that something is making their skin itch.
At any moment your dog begins to kick his leg while you are scratching him, it’s not that they are being ticklish, it is just that you are tricking is nerves into thinking that something is making him feel itchy.
How Do You Know If Your Poodle is Ticklish?
It might be a case where your poodle is ticklish but you haven’t experience seeing them like that before. If your dog doesn’t like when you touch their ears or feet, or grooming their areas, it’s a possibility that they are ticklish.
If you are curious if your poodle has tickle feet, then you can slightly tickle their feet to see how they actually react. You could also blow air onto their ears, which will eventually cause them to twitch their ear around or start stretching it too. Also, rubbing your fingers down their back may result in them shivering.
Is Tickling a Dog Bad?
It all comes down to how your dogs react when they are being tickled. There’s no doubt that tickling can be annoying and even painful at some point especially when you are not in the mood for anything except eating. It’s pretty much the same for your furry friend! There are certainly times when your dog may want a little tickle, while other times they just don’t want to be bothered at all.
With that being said, if your poodle is in a happy mood, while showing signs of being relaxed with a doggy smile on their mind, it’s a indication that shows they don’t mind what you are doing.
However, if it’s a case where your furry friend is showing signs of unhappiness, then we don’t think you should tickle them. Also, stepping away from where you are is an strong indication that they are not interested in whatever you are doing.
The truth to be told is that not every dog enjoy being tickled, and some might try to bear it while others shows sign that they want you to stop immediately. The best thing to do is watch your poodle body language and try to understand what he’s telling you.