Why Do Goldendoodles Put Their Paw On You?

Goldendoodles are a dog breed that likes to spend a lot of time and attention with their owners. 

They are loyal and like to be active, plus get a lot of petting and other attention at the same time. 

One of the things that you may notice with the Goldendoodle is that they like to paw at you or at least rest a paw against you during the day and it may cause you to wonder what that means?

Why Do Goldendoodles Put Their Paw On You?

A Goldendoodle will put their paw on you to get your attention. They may want to interact with you, be petted, or get some attention. They may be trying to communicate something like they want to go for a walk or to express concern. Context is key when understanding why your Goldendoodle is putting their paw on you.

There are a lot of different reasons why a Goldendoodle may choose to put their paw on you. 

Sometimes it is just because of their excited personality and how much they like to be around other people. 

But understanding why the Goldendoodle likes to do this behavior and some of the steps you can take to handle this issue includes:

They Want Social Interaction

If you notice that the Goldendoodle is pawing at you often, then it is a good sign that the dog wants to get you to interact with them. 

When they paw at you, they are trying to get your attention away from the other task or object that you are focusing on, in the hopes of getting you to move that attention to them.

When they want their owner to play with them, talk to them, or even sit down and cuddle with them, they are more likely to paw at their owner to make this known. 

Keep in mind that your Goldendoodle is going to love a lot of attention and time with you.

If the pawing starts to happen, it is time to stop what you are doing and spend some one on one time with the dog. 

You Have Something They Want

It is not uncommon for the Goldendoodle to put their paws on their own when the owner has something that the dog wants. 

Most dogs love to play with their toys, whether it is a special stuffed animal or a tennis ball. 

If your pet is pawing at you, it could be a sign that you are holding one of the items that they love the most and the dog wants you to give it up to them. 

It could also be a sign that they already know where the toy is, but they are not able to access it. 

If the ball rolls under the couch, for example, then they may want you to help them to get a hold of it so that they can keep playing. 

Paying attention to some of the cues that your dog gives will help them to communicate well through this pawing motion. 

They Want to Eat What You are Eating

In some cases, the Goldendoodle will put their paw on you because they want to have what you are eating. 

This dog is curious and they will often think that the food you are eating should be the food that they get to eat as well. 

Since they are related to the Golden Retriever, who is seen as a food motivated breed, it is normal to see that these dogs are the same way. 

If you start to notice that the Goldendoodle is touching your arm with their paw while you are eating your dinner or making yourself something to eat, then this is a sign that they want to try some as well. 

It can also be a sign that the dog is hungry and they want to have something to eat as well. 

You may need to feed them some extra food to keep them from eating yours. 

They Want You to Pet Them

It is not uncommon for the Goldendoodle to put their paw on you because they wish to be petted. 

All dogs crave a bit of love and attention from their owners and they like it a lot when their owners are able to pet them, ruffle the fur, and stroke them often.

They may feel like you are not petting them enough so they will signal this through their behavioral cues, such as putting a paw on you. 

Goldendoodles will put their paws on you when they want you to pet them. 

This is something that you are more likely to notice when you are busy with other tasks and may not have had time to give your dog some of the attention that they need. 

Usually, a few minutes of attention will be enough to help your dog feel better and to get the behavior to stop. 

They want to Apologize

Dogs tend to communicate in different ways and pawing is a great way for them to do this. 

Just like you are able to tell when the dog is upset or happy, they are able to understand some of the emotions that you have as well. 

This means that they can tell when you are mad at them and they may want to apologize to you and work to make it a little bit better. 

One of the reasons why the Goldendoodle will try to put their paw on their owner is that they are trying to apologize for something that has happened. 

Touching your arm using their paw is their way of showing you some warmth and love, a good way for them to give an apology to their owners as much as possible. 

They Want to Be Rewarded

It is possible that your Goldendoodle is pawing at you because they would like to be rewarded for something.

When your dog starts to paw at you, it is expecting that you stop what they are doing and give them all of your attention in order to pet them or at least give them the attention that they need. 

When you do either of these actions, it ends up rewarding the dog and it becomes a source of gratification for them that they want again and again. 

They Need Your Help

One of the bigger reasons that a Goldendoodle may decide to paw at you is because they need your assistance. 

There are times when the Goldendoodle may play with their favorite toy and get it stuck somewhere, for example. 

They will try to paw at you to alert you to the problem and see if they are able to get some help with that situation. 

At other times, the Goldendoodle will be pawing at you because they want to go out for a walk and they are not able to get out of the house on their own. 

Dogs love to be out with their owners and they may paw a bit to help get your attention that it is time to get outside and move around. 

Should I Be Worried If My Goldendoodle Paws Often?

For the most part, this pawing is not a big issue and you will not need to be worried about it at all. 

It can be an adorable process that shows how much your Goldendoodle loves you and wants to spend time with you. 

You may even notice that your heart is melting a bit when they want that attention and decide to paw at you for it. 

However, there are times when the pawing is not a good sign and you may need to train your dog not to participate in it at all for their own safety or to help show your own dominance in the family again.

If you see that this pawing is a sign of dominance from your dog or it seems to put them or you in danger, then you may want to train the Goldendoodle to stop. 

If the dog paws at your guests or at kids, you should make it stop as well. 

The good news is that Goldendoodles are very smart and they can learn things quickly. 

This can help them quite a bit to learn some of the different tasks that you would like from them, including to stop pawing when you do not want them to do this. 

Understanding Why Your Goldendoodle is Pawing

The first step to helping your dog get what they want is to gain a fuller understanding of why they do an action in the first place. 

With the pawing, it is usually something as simple as trying to get your attention. 

Give the dog some of the attention or the praise that they need and you will make your Goldendoodle happy.