Your female dog rubbing her belly across the carpet sure can be a funny thing to watch. However, it may also get you worried if it becomes a repeated behavior. As a pet owner, you want to be sure that there is not anything that needs your urgent attention, especially if you are a new pet parent. There are several questions to ask when your dog goes and rubs on its belly on the carpet or in other places.
Could your dog be seeking your attention, or is she just trying to exercise her muscles? Or perhaps your dog is just trying to respond to a minor itch by scratching its belly on the carpet. Is this some funny puppy behavior that she will get over?
When your dog drags herself across the room on her belly, it is called the “army crawl.” This is usually an infantile behavior but can be seen in adult dogs as well. However, there could be other serious reasons responsible for your dog rubbing on its belly, and in this article, we will be talking about them.
Why Would My Female Dog Be Doing This?
Besides trying to get your attention, your female dog could be rubbing on her belly as a result of a skin allergy or an issue with the limbs or hip joint. Another possibility is that your dog went out exploring and got bitten by insects on her belly. Each of the mentioned cases is a serious case, and your dog will need urgent attention, especially when you are not sure what the severity of the problem is. In any case, you must decipher what exactly is responsible for your dog rubbing on her tummy.
If your dog is rubbing on its belly, you should observe her as she tries to walk and find out if she is having difficulty walking or if her legs are shaking. If, while walking, your dog is limping or favoring one leg over the other, your dog might be dealing with a hip or limb problem. This might be indicative of hip dysplasia or a luxating patella.
On the other hand, if, after watching closely, you do not notice any abnormality in your dog’s walking pattern, you should inspect the stomach area. Look out for bumps or pinkish/reddish spots, which might be indicative of a skin allergy. This skin allergy causing an itch could be due to flea infestation or a dry skin problem. Also, look out for signs of scratching and swelling to ascertain whether she has been bitten.
Is This Behavior Something I Should Worry About?
No, you should not be worried if your dog is scratching her belly on your carpet. This is not a strange behavior, as we talked about the “army scrub” earlier. So, in case you are noticing it for the first time, it should not surprise you. We advise that you first run the checks we mentioned in the above section before panicking.
This is because you do not want to go worrying about your female dog rubbing its belly on the carpet only to find out there isn’t any problem. Let your mind be at peace and run the necessary checks. If, after running the checks, you can confirm any of the conditions we mentioned above, then you can come up with the next right step to take.
So, what should you do if, after checking, you do not see any of the signs we told you to check for? Well, you should continue to pay more attention to your dog, particularly if the behavior becomes more repeated. In some situations, this action is linked to psychological reasons like separation anxiety.
What Should I Do if My Female Dog Does This Excessively?
The first thing to do if your female dog is rubbing her belly on the carpet is to check her walking pattern and inspect the skin around her stomach area. If you confirm any of these conditions, you need to get the urgent attention of your vet. Whether your dog is dealing with hip dysplasia, luxating patella, flea infestation, skin allergy, or dry skin, none of these conditions is to be treated with levity.
If you suspect a hip joint problem, for instance, your dog could be in severe pain, and you might not even be aware of it. Reaching out to your vet is one sure way to deal with the pains your dog may be experiencing as early as possible. In cases of skin allergy, things could be quite tricky; therefore, you don’t want to take chances.
