# Why aren't dogs tickelish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193 "2006-03-05T23:42:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ArnoldIsNumeroUno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@ArnoldIsNumeroUno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArnoldIsNumeroUno)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193/1 "2006-03-05T23:42:41Z")
How come dogs cannot be tickled? ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193/2 "2006-03-05T23:58:00Z")
> [@ArnoldIsNumeroUno](#): > > How come dogs cannot be tickled? Sometimes if a dog lies on its back and you rub its belly in the right place, its back leg will kick rapidly and involuntarily until you stop tickling. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193/3 "2006-03-06T00:23:56Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > Sometimes if a dog lies on its back and you rub its belly in the right place, its back leg will kick rapidly and involuntarily until you stop tickling. I agree. I have seen many dogs that react to something like tickling. I can’t get in their brain but a strong leg “pawing” reflex seems to be good evidence that they can be tickled. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193/4 "2006-03-06T00:27:51Z")
Hm. Do animals other than humans laugh? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193/5 "2006-03-06T01:44:31Z")
> [@Measure for Measure](#): > > Hm. Do animals other than humans laugh? [Dog’s laughing](http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010728/fob9.asp) OK, maybe not exactly, but: > [@](#): > > Amid all the panting, a dog at play makes a distinctive, breathy exhalation that can trigger playfulness in other dogs, says a Nevada researcher. Yes, it might be the dog version of a laugh. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193/6 "2006-03-06T01:55:17Z")
I have a friend whose dog bares all his teeth in a happy grimace when she hits just the right scratching spot on his jaw. Doubt that counts as “ticklish” though. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193/7 "2006-03-06T13:39:14Z")
I’ve never seen a dog that doesn’t react to its feet being tickled. Gently tickle the hair in the middle of the pads of a foot. You’ll then see a ticklish dog! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-dogs-tickelish/347193/8 "2006-03-06T14:45:15Z")
For years we had a dog that was ticklish right up where his hind legs joined into his body (armpits, so to speak). If you rubbed him lightly there, he would make the rapid pawing gestures described by others.