You’ve all seen it…you’re scratching or petting a dog near the forelegs, and their hind legs starts twitching uncontrollably.
I’m assuming there’s some nerve connection…is this comparable to a human’s funny bone? Is there any evolutionary purpose to this?
I’m sure it doesn’t hurt the dog. My husband was petting our dog, and she promptly buried her head in the couch cushion, closed her eyes, and let her hind leg jerk away.
I just find this a very funny phenomenon, and I’d be happy for any insight into it.
I only have a bit of info to add. My dog has 2 distinctive ‘spots’ that make her back legs go… one is on her upper chest…near the breastbone. The other is essentially her belly button…God I hope it’s not cruel…she seems to enjoy it…and I do too. I always humm “start me up” when I do it to her…
I can’t find the spot on my current dog, so not all of them do it. She does love to have her tummy scratched, though. My last dog would start up practically before you even touched him. He also did this thing where if I ran my nails down his spine, the skin on his back would all bunch up by his shoulders - it looked really weird. I would guess it’s just a reflex.
I’ve got two dogs. When I roll them on their backs, and tickle their bellies, they grin, and them make an irregular panting sound, that sounds like quick exhaled bursts. Both of them respond the same way. If I’m tickling one, the other will join in and start nudging away too!
Ever have a REALLY good back scratch? One that makes you tremble? I know I have twitched (my arm, usually) when my SO gives me a good back scratch, especially near the shoulders. I think this is something like what dogs feel - it just feels so good, and motion is sort of involuntary during it.
I have seen the same thing in horses. Usually up near the withers there is a spot that a little scrath will result in the horse twitching and/or stretching out his neck and curling his lips. They seem to enjoy it. Got to watch out for a horse’s leg kicking around though.
I wonder if that has something to do with it. A dog will scratch that portion under their foreleg with their hind leg. Maybe someone else scratching there triggers the hind leg to twitch.