My dog is generally doing absolute max wiggle while I rub her tummy, though butt scratches are a clear favorite between the two so I think yes.
this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2026
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Consulted with my dog. Her answer is 'yes'.
The consultation was half an hour ago and Im still rubbing her belly.
My cat misses me getting high.
It's submission behavior. So I guess it depends on their preferences.
After decades of first hand study and experience I can assure you it’s both for submission indication and for leisure/pleasure, sometimes both, sometimes one or the other.
submission indication and for leisure/pleasure, sometimes both,
They really are just like people, aren't they?
A dog exposing their belly to a human, especially their human(s), is more about being comfortable and relaxed than submissive. It can also be playful/silly behaviour towards their family.
I have a dog that likes to go paws in the air just to silly. The tail will be banging anything in range and dusting the floor. The moment I get down for a belly rub, tail stops. If talk silly back and offer a treat I get an explosion of happyness and cooperative mood.
This was my assumption. But I'm not discounting it being both. Looks like plenty of other people's dogs here seem to like it.
I just keep thinking "buddy if you'd rather I scritch your ears I'm more than happy too"
They'll let you know. My dog has moods, each has their own body language. Sometimes she wants head and ear scritches, so she'll bump her head into my hands and keep them there until I start petting. Sometimes she wants belly rubs, she will roll on her back in front of me or on the couch/bed. If I ignore her, she will switch positions into my line of sight and repeat. She also sometimes is not in the mood for petting, and my approaches will be dismissed. She turns her back and ignores me. She learned to signal her walking leash all proper and formal on her own when she wants to go for a walk. She sits in front of the leash pointing with her snout and waits until I notice. She will bark if I'm not around to call my attention.
Sometimes I stop on purpose to see her reaction. If she's okay with stopping the activity she will leave or regain a neutral posture. If she wants more she will tap me with her paw until I resume. It's very cute. Dogs are definitely very communicative if they want something.
My cat loves getting belly rubs, no coercion possible there. Preferably higher at the ribcage though. This message does not represent all cats and I am not liable for any eyes, arms or face getting damaged.
Some of them do! Very risky gamble though
One of my cats is also a lover of belly rubs, to the point that I joke about his belly being a trap again. When we snuggle and I wrap my arm around him, he'll often adjust his hind legs so that my arm is sandwiched between them. He also sometimes wraps his front paws around my arm and pulls my hand in towards his belly.
My cat too. He’ll roll over to specifically ask for it. The other thing he likes is chin rubs and he’ll tilt his head up and look at me when he wants that.
By this measure, our dog is a cat as well..
This is anecdotal to just my dog but she seems to really like it. Once I start petting her, it’s only a matter of time before she rolls into her back. If she’s next to me in bed and I stop petting her belly, she does a little squirm/wiggle until I start again, it’s very cute until I mistakenly start petting her too early I the morning and then I’m not allowed to go back to sleep.
I used to have a dog that would "flap" her front paws when you stopped. Still probably the cutest thing I've seen in this mortal life
it depends on the dog
dogs have all sorts of personalities and likes/dislikes.
My dog loves it when people scratch and pet her butt..Annoys my dad to no end. I'll be relaxed in the recliner and she'll just rub my foot against her butt for a while cause she loves it so much.
So… like if we’re talking running her Buthole… that might the the gland acting up. She might need some relief. (Very stanky relief.)
That said, my bro’s muppet likes to have scriches delivered just above her tail.
Nah it's the area behind her tail on her back she likes.
My dog was never much for belly rubs. Then he spent a couple weeks at my parents, whose dog had a routine of belly rubs every morning before getting out of bed. Now he demands belly rubs most mornings.
My dog does the stare when her belly is being rubbed, but she will writhe and paw at you obsessively to get your hand down to her belly in the first place regardless of whether rubbing her tummy for fifteen minutes straight was part of your daily plan or not.
I figure I like getting my belly rubbed so they probably do too.
As soon as I walk in the room my dog will roll right over and fully expose her belly for those rubs.
Not all dogs wag their tail to indicate happiness, mostly it wags while they are anticipating something. My dog absolutely loves belly/neck scratches but will only wag her tail when I'm reaching like I'm going to do it. She stops while it is happening.
Every dog I have ever known goes nuts for belly rubs. The only time mine is "dead still" is when shes asleep.
My dog has allergies. He likes help scratching parts that are hard to reach, like his chest.
Every dog I've ever had would do a little leggy kick thing whenever I'd scratch their tummy.
I wouldn't do it if they didn't like it, doesn't do shit for me personally! Try rubbing (and scratching) a different dog's belly. If they also don't like it, you're probably just bad at it. For now! Try different locations and intensities until they stop everything else but breathing to enjoy the tummy rubs! Based on my extensions research, yes, they enjoy it.
I agree with others. it depends on the dog. my dog really loves having a rear kneecap scratched. it like always itches her. and no she does not have a medical issue.
My dog loved it, depends on the individual, same with cats.
My dog only "lets" me pet him how he wants. If he's on his side and I put my hand on him, he'll either roll over for belly pets or does a big stretch for chest scratches. Or nothing if he wants me to leave him alone.
And then other times he'll come up to me on his own and flip over. That means he wants me to play his ribcage like washboard
Did you just watch Absolutely Anything?
Did I watch anything? Or did I watch a show called Absolutely Anything?
If the latter, I've never heard of it
It's a movie with a talking dog, in which the dog says something along the lines of "dogs don't like belly rubs, they only get them because it makes humans happy" to which the human replies they only give them because dogs like it, and they argue over who likes it.
Hilarious, guess it's required reading for the topic
Funny movie with Simon Pegg, written and directed by Terry Jones (of Monty Python). You can watch it on Tubi or Pluto.tv