Why is it that when you scratch a dog in a certain spot, its hind leg will twitch/kick around? Is it just some weird instinct or does it mean the dog really likes it?
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ANSWERS: 4
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Usually, it's a spot that he normally can't reach himself. A cat will also do the same. The animal is "getting into it" so to speak and its a reflex.
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This is called a paddle point.Reflex like reaction.
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It's the same reaction you make with your face when someone scratches the itch on your back. It's instinctual.
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I think it is just an animal reflex. My dogs will kick their hind legs whenever I scratch an itch under their front legs, chest, belly, or mid-back. I'm not sure, but it appears to be hard-wired into a dog's nervous system. Maybe it's a case of the dog feels an itch getting scratched, so it assumes it's leg must be moving to scratch the itch -- so it does. I did ask my dogs about this, but all they did was say: "Scratch some more."
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