The Real Reason Dogs Kick When You Scratch Them

If you’ve ever been scratching a dog and seen them do the kicky leg thing, it’s truly adorable. But it might not necessarily be a feel-good thing.

Hosted by: Stefan Chin

----------
----------
Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever:

Chris Peters, Matt Curls, Kevin Bealer, Jeffrey Mckishen, Jacob, Christopher R Boucher, Nazara, charles george, Christoph Schwanke, Ash, Silas Emrys, KatieMarie Magnone, Eric Jensen, Adam Brainard, Piya Shedden, Alex Hackman, James Knight, GrowingViolet, Sam Lutfi, Alisa Sherbow, Jason A Saslow, Dr. Melvin Sanicas

----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
----------
Sources:

Images:

[ChaosPootato]

I've always thought they just associate "scratching an itch" with "doing it themselves" because I don't think dogs scratch each other in the wild... So when you scratch them, the leg just goes "oh yeah, I'm the one scratching right now"

[Master_Therion]

Imagine being the scientists who researched this.
If your original hypothesis was wrong, you'd have to start over from scratch.

[patricialessard]

Horses "flick or twitch" their skin when even just one fly lands on them. It always reminded me to put on their biting fly repellant as well as mine when we went riding.

[chimpson]

Imagine the people who researched this, just giving dogs belly rubbies in every posible way

[typezero]

Quick correction: You wrote "scabies and mange", but scabies actually IS mange. It's known as sarcoptic mange. The other type being demodectic mange, each caused by different types of mites.

A nitpicky thing I know (pun intended), but some people might find the information useful. Love your content!

[TheRubinator]

My dog definitely loves it 🤣 as soon as we stop scratching him, he'll start to grab at us with his paw or start nuzzling his nose under out hands to get us to start scratching again 😂💕

[chawkichalladia]

the stray dog i raised in our street definitely enjoy it. he used to come running when he sees me and just flops on his back waiting for the scratch. i really miss my dude. i hope he's ok wherever he went.

[kellys]

I appreciate the scientific acknowledgment of “scritches”.

[MagicianFairy]

I want to know who was paid to give frogs and turtles scritches. And how can i sign up.

[redfeatheredreptile]

Larger animals like cows and horses i’ve seen have a similar response, but instead of a leg moving, it can be a shuddering in that area or a tail flicking, usually started by an insect landing on them. I wonder if it’s a similar evolutionary purpose.

[alexflynnbaker]

my dog was rubbing her back with her nose the other day and triggered this reflex and hit herself in the face

[katcel]

Before finishing the video: I always assumed it was kind of their “tickle spot” but also since generally any dogs I’ve scritched and gotten to kick their legs seem to like being scratched in that spot, I assumed it was more pleasant than actually being tickled

[LavenderLinguist]

My cat does this when I scritch her ears! I'm glad you mentioned that they're one of the animals that do this, and that it's called a pinnal-pedal reflex

[bestaround]

My dog is pretty funny, she likes her front paws rubbed, but if you rub her back paws she unconsciously kicks her back leg. She is a dachshund who got fat and couldn't move her back legs on her own for a while. So along with a diet we would stimulate her back legs to get her nerves to fire to help her recovery. She is now fully mobile again, but does is more likely to have her back legs drift when making sharp fast turns

[aerisafoxfeather]

I used to work with cows and have ALSO seen them shake their legs when scratched. It's rare but can happen :D

[GOPGOP]

I always thought it was due to a subconscious trigger that says "scratch, " and I've noticed that dogs tend to bring their leg inward when it happens. Sort of like a ghost itch.

[AnonymousAlcoholic]

This is what I like about this channel, you do not shy away from pressing controversial issues. You go you Cronkite you

[FarhanAmin]

This just reminded me of one the most fundamental laws of the Universe: Dogs are love and anyone who doesn't them love them... (You know the rest)

[CommanderWaddles]

Yea, my cat does it all the time with scratches or even firm rubs in areas she scratches more than others.
I always thought it was because they associate that feeling with the act of scratching so strongly that their bodies just take one to mean the other (x= scratch, y=leg scratching) & for some reason can't understand one happening on it's own lol

[eeFiroK]

i wouldnt describe this motion as kicking, rather than scratching, since some dogs scratch their belly with such a motion