Comments on: Why do dogs jump up onto something when we pat on the object?

By: .

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:02:39 +0000

I would say learned behaviour because as I think about it I even pat the seat when I want my husband or my kids to sit next to me.

By: kingsnake182

kingsnake182 — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:28:14 +0000

The odds are you stated making that gesture ever sense he/she was a puppy and they learned to know you want them in that spot.

By: KKingS

KKingS — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:19:10 +0000

I’m guessing it is learned. Dogs are good with signals as commands (some better than others,) so they recognize that signal as the okay to join you. When it is time to go to sleep, my dogs have to wait until I give permission to get on the bed. One responds to the verbal command, the other one needs to see the signal (me, patting the bed,) before he will jump up.

By: Floopy

Floopy — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:14:16 +0000

We’re projecting. We make that motion when we’d like another person to have a seat somewhere, and we just kinda transfer that thought and do the same to our dogs.