Around our house, my smallest dog, Sophie, is referred to as the couch gnome.
She’s small, she’s lazy, she rarely leaves the couch, and she mostly communicates through grunts, especially when I’m petting her.
These short, low vocalizations burst forth in tandem with every upstroke of my pet, but she’s kind of vaguely, happily whining the whole time. I’m pretty sure that the cuteness outweighs the grossness, but it’s pretty close. It would be better if she wasn’t blowing out snot through her nose the whole time.
The other day, as I watched her grunting and writhing around on the couch in response to a simply belly scratch, I just started wondering “why?”
Why all of this? What the heck is she doing?!
Why does my dog grunt when I pet her? Dogs grunt when you pet them usually as an involuntary relaxation response. They may be communicating “keep going” or “stop,” or you could be pushing the air out of them or subconsciously reinforcing the behavior. Some dogs are predisposed to grunting but it may also be a health issue.
Most of the time, a dog who grunts when you pet them is nothing to worry about. It’s just a weird behavior that, for better or for worse, you’re best off just getting used to.
However, it’s important to know what’s a normal vocalization and what is a sign of a potentially more serious issue like aggression or a health problem like arthritis.
If you’re concerned about your dog’s pet-grunts, read on for the whole scoop. Here’s a Table of Contents if you want to skip to the sections that apply to you:
Why Does My Dog Grunt, Groan, Moan, And Growl?
Dogs have worked out incredibly interesting and nuanced ways to communicate with each other and people using what is in fact a fairly limited vocal range.
While it varies between breeds, it’s generally regarded that all dogs use 6 basic forms of vocalizations, while some breeds have up to 10.
- Barking
- Whining
- Growling
- Howling
- Sighing
- Grunting
Barking and howling are pretty distinct, active vocalizations that you are not likely to conflate with grunting.
Whining, growling, and sighing could easily be mistaken for grunting, so it’s important that you properly identify the behavior that you’re observing before you continue.
Whining is higher pitched and usually doesn’t come with much expulsion of air. It typically indicates that a dog wants something or that they have anxiety or fear.
Growls are lower and more sustained than grunts. They are typically accompanied by stiffness and other signs of discomfort, but not always barred teeth.
Grows are, by design, supposed to be intimidating and attention-getting. They typically mean “stop” or “stay back.”
Interestingly, dogs and humans sigh for more or less the same reasons: contentedness or disappointment. This is similar to grunting behavior, so if your dog is grunting and sighing when you pet them, they are probably doing so for the same reason
It’s been scientifically proven to be difficult, but not impossible, for people to understand very specific emotions that a dog is expressing when they are vocalizing.
Grunting typically indicates that a dog is either relaxed or disappointed.
In the context of petting, unless your dog is bummed out that you are petting them (possible), it’s likely that they are just being relaxed.
If you need more help identifying what type of specific vocalization your dog is doing, check out this video for guidance:
Reasons Your Dog Grunts When You Pet Them
With the background information out of the way, let’s take a closer look at a few of the reasons why dogs grunt when you pet them.
Reason #1 – Relaxed
The most likely reason that your dog grunts, groans, or sighs when you pet them is that it is just an involuntary sound they’re making because they are relaxed.
This is not dissimilar to you letting out a long “ahhhhh” when you plop down on the couch or letting out an “oooooooh” when someone scratches your back.
Your dog may be doing other behaviors too that indicate that they are relaxed.
These may include slowly blinking, yawning, slowly lolling their head towards you, prolonged eye contact, or rolling over to expose their belly to entice you to scratch them where they can’t scratch themselves.
Or it may just be a couple of long, contented groans.
Either way, this is probably why your dog is grunting when you pet them, and it’s nothing to be concerned about.
Just let them make their happy little noises.
Reason #2 – Communicating
Whereas the first reason is simply an involuntary expression of their feelings, a dog’s vocalization may be doing more than just that.
It’s possible that your dog is grunting when you pet them in order to communicate something to you.
Like I mentioned, dogs have a pretty limited vocal range and grunts, being a quiet and low impact activity for your dog, as opposed to howling or barking, is a great way for them to communicate to you that they like what you are doing and that they want you to continue.
This is especially true if your dog begins grunting when you start to slow down or if you pull your hand away.
Grunting is an easy way to get your attention and bring your hand back to them to keep the party going.
It is possible, however, that your dog is grunting to communicate to you that they want you to stop.
If your dog is very stiff or if they started grunting as soon as you pet them and stop when you stop, then they may be grunting as a way of actively communicating to you that they do not like what you’re doing, for whatever reason.
You are the best-suited person to read your dog’s behavior, so you are probably already able to tell whether or not your dog is saying “yes” or “no” through their grunts.
Just know that it is possible that they are trying to communicate something to you besides just their relaxed contentedness.
Pay careful attention to any other behaviors they are engaging in at the same time to make sure that you are not making your dog uncomfortable.
Which leads me to the next reason your dog may be grunting when you pet them.
Reason #3 – Aggression
If your dog is stiff when they grunt at you or if you can see their teeth, it is possible that they are responding with aggression to your pets.
While unlikely, your dog may see being pet as an act of dominance on your part. Putting your hand on their back or on their face and roughly rubbing it may make your dog feel insecure or vulnerable.
It is only natural, therefore, for a dog who feels vulnerable and set upon to respond to the situation aggressively in order to protect themselves, even if they are incorrectly reading the room.
If you think that your dog is being aggressive when you pet them, you should take their grunting sounds as a warning that is meant to be and back off.
It is possible that your dog is grunting as a sign of aggression when you pet them, and there’s no reason to mess with that.
Reason #4 – Physically Predisposed
Some dogs are just grunty!
There are a ton of factors that can make a dog more likely to grunt than other dogs.
Sometimes, it’s just a simple personality thing. Some dogs like to grunt more than others do, just like some dogs howl while others do not.
Besides personality, their physical characteristics can make a dog more likely to grunt when you pet them too.
Obesity is a common characteristic that leads to both grunting and also snoring in many dogs in America.
The extra layers of fat around your obese dog’s abdomen constrict their lungs and prevent their diaphragms from being able to efficiently expand and contract when they breathe.
The result is sharper breasts and audible, grunting-like sounds when they breathe.
Dogs with brachycephalic, or short, noses also tend to be gruntier than other dogs.
The short noses make it difficult for air to pass through their mouth and nose and into their sinuses and respiratory system.
Dogs like pugs, bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Boxers, and a whole litany of small dogs like Shih Tzus and Pekingese (and any dogs that are mixed with them) are all short-nosed dogs that are more likely to respond with a grunt than other vocalizations.
While there’s not much you can do to change the shape of your dog’s face, you can help reduce some of the negative effects of their squished face by treating them with these sinus support droplets. They help reduce inflammation and regulate mucus production, which helps give your dog an edge when it comes to breathing deeply.
Reason #5 – Reinforcement
Do you think it’s cute when your dog grunts?
What do you do when they grunt?
Keep in mind that your dog is usually an incredibly clever creature. They are constantly learning from you, even if you are not actively trying to teach them something.
Say, for example, one day you’re petting your dog and he lets out a grunt for the first time.
You find it kind of cute in that ugly/happy little way dogs can be, so you respond positively with treats, “awwws,” and more scratches and rubs.
Your dog, not being any dummy, likes pets and scratches and it’s not too much of a leap for them to realize that they got more of what they wanted after they grunted.
So next time, they’ll be quicker with a grunt because now they know (or think they know) that you like grunts and grunts get them rewards.
This type of classical conditioning can happen in all manner of situations with your dog. It can often lead to frustration and confusion on the part of the owner, who ends up wondering how and why their dog ended up doing such odd behavior seemingly out of nowhere.
But remember that your dog is always watching you, so if your dog grunts when you pet them, it’s entirely possible that you are reinforcing the behavior, and the grunting actually has very little to do with your dog’s desire or need to grunt.
Reason #6 – You’re Doing It
No, I don’t mean it was actually you grunting all along.
Do you remember being a little kid getting wrapped up in a giant hug from an older relative? I’m thinking of my uncle who would wrap his arms around me, lift me up into the air, and squeeze me, pushing all the air out of me in a delightful, hearty greeting.
Unless you are particularly small or your dog is particularly big (or both), you probably have a solid 50 pounds on them.
You, big as you are, coming in with your strong hands, rubbing on your dog’s back, abdomen, chest, and tummy, is bound to put some pressure on them.
When there is a lot of pressure on the dog’s torso, it is perfectly natural for them to make audible grunting noises as the air is pushed out of their chest, not dissimilar to my uncle’s breathtaking bear hugs.
Not even just force, but also rhythmic patterns can also cause your dog to grunt when you’re petting them.
This is especially likely if you have a small dog with not a whole lot of real estate to pet, so you end up just rubbing one place over and over again.
You may be surprised by how little force it takes to interfere with your dog’s breathing.
Unless you are squishing them completely, the occasional grunt is nothing to worry about.
However, it is possible that the noises your dog is making are an indication that something serious is wrong.
Reason #7 – Health Issue
The vast majority of the time, your dog’s grunts are simply happy noises getting squished out of a happy dog.
However, keep in mind that your dog only has a few tools to communicate with, and grunting is one that they may use in different contexts to express pain.
If your dog grunts when you pet them, it may be making them physically uncomfortable and they may be grunting out their displeasure, not dissimilar to how you would if you hurt your back and someone gave you a big hug.
Arthritis is the most common culprit here.
Dogs develop arthritis just like people do, and, just like people, it can happen to them way earlier in life than you may expect.
If your dog has suddenly started grunting when you pet them, it may be that they are developing arthritis and the pressure and agitation of your hand on their body are physically hurting them.
Pay attention to where you are petting your dog when they grunt. They may always grunt when you pet a particular part of their body, which may help you determine whether or not you need to pursue the issue further.
Frankly, there is an innumerable number of things that could go wrong with your dog to make them in pain when you touch them.
Aside from arthritis, it could be a slipped disc or back injury, a surface injury like a cut or a bruise, an allergy that’s making the skin sensitive, or you could be putting pressure on a cancerous growth beneath the skin.
It’s never a good idea to diagnose your dog’s health issues yourself online, so if you think your dog may be grunting when you pet them because they are in pain, you should take them to the vet right away to make sure that it’s not a sign that something more serious is wrong.
If it IS arthritis, you should check with your vet but I highly recommend these hemp oil droplets that claim to support your dog’s overall body health. I don’t usually go in for supplements, but when Sofie started getting older, I noticed her mobility started to go. A friend recommended these and I actually saw noticeable improvement within the first month!
She still stays on the couch most of the time but it’s nice to know that she COULD walk if she was so inclined.
Is It OK If My Dog Grunts When I Pet Them?
A dog who grunts when you pet them is nothing to worry about. Most of the time, at least.
Most of the time, it’s just an involuntary expression of their contentedness. Some breeds, like Great Danes and Pitties, are also more likely to show their happiness with a grunt.
It’s possible that they are trying to communicate something to you, in which case you just need to pay close attention to your dog’s other cues to figure out what it is. Probably, they just want you to either keep going or stop.
If they want you to stop, it’s important not to press your dog and force the pet when they don’t want it.
The only time that you really need to worry about your dog’s pet-related grunts is if you think it’s related to a health issue.
Other signs that will go along with the grunting that may indicate that your dog has a health issue are other vocalizations like sighing or moaning, a stiff posture, holding their tail down, pulling their ears down, looking at you from the sides of their eyes, and general lethargy.
You should be able to tell if your dog is grunting out of pain or out of contentment but if not, it’s better to err on the side of caution and get your dog checked out by a vet to get ahead of anything potentially serious.
Once you are sure that there’s nothing wrong with your dog, you can probably safely get back to petting them to your heart’s content, all to the tune of their happy grunts.
