Why does my dog stretch so much when he sees me?

Why does my dog stretch so much when he sees me?

A few days ago, I was walking towards my house when my fluffy friends came to me yawning and stretching.

At that time I was in a moment of aww, but later I was struggling with a thought that why my dogs stretched so much seeing me? I was confused because there were so many questions in my mind. Like, am I taking proper care? Were they feeling bored at home? Is it a normal reaction?

What does it mean when your dog stretches?

Dogs are a beautiful creation, and they have really interesting behavior. They love doing stretching actions and expressing themselves to others.

So, if you have adopted a puppy recently, don’t worry if they show different behaviors like stretching the moment they see you. It is a normal phenomenon and has some solid reasons behind it.

Some of them are

Your dog is giving you a play bow

When you are around your dogs, you will observe their bowing behavior more often. They usually show a bowing moment when they lean down their elbows or stretch their front legs.

In both cases, they choose to bow and give you a typical invitation to play. It means they want you to come and play with them. You have to understand this behavior by observing their leg and elbow moments.

If your dog stretch on your arrival observe the mechanism and understand their hint of playing. It is a positive behavior because it is their way of asking for your company.

It is usually called a happy grin or a playful stretch that gives you a sign of positive well-being. They will do it for a minute or two when they see you and will give a sign of playful bark.

Your dog is doing a morning stretch 

If stretching is the first thing that you observe in your dog in the morning, it means it is nothing serious. It indicates their morning stretch, which is their way of waking up and getting ready for the day.

When your dog stretches in the morning after seeing you, don’t get panicked or worried because it is more like a morning stretch. They do it a couple of times along with a yawn. While doing a morning stretch, you will also see your fog shaking its body.

In this way, they relax and get ready to survive the day with you. It is always fun to watch your dog doing morning stretches because they look adorable while doing it.

At this moment let them curl for some time and give them cuddles to make their morning beautiful. They feel happy to see you in the morning and give you an adorable reaction by shaking and stretching their body on seeing you.

It is not an abnormal sign, because like other pets they have their way of relaxing and preparing themselves after having a peaceful sleep.

Your dog is greeting you

In a normal routine, when your dog stretches seeing you it is a happy stretch. It is considered a greeting stretch because this is how dogs greet when they see their loved ones.

The greeting stretch is similar to a play bow, but in this case, the front legs are lined up. You can differentiate a play bow from a greeting stretch by the position of your dog’s legs and elbows.

If their elbows don’t touch the ground and also their front legs are lined up, it means they are greeting you at your arrival. On the other hand, if they lean their elbows and stretch their front legs, it gives you a sign of play bow.

Observe, and react accordingly.

In all three cases, one thing is common when a dog stretch on seeing you, it is not a health issue. It is normal and positive behavior that shows loved towards the owner. 

So, stay positive and don’t take your dog to vetr on such simple cases. These are some behavior changes, and all of them have no connection with a dog’s health. 

You can visit your doctor if something strange happens, like if your dog is not responding or is feeling lazy and tired. On the other hand, if everything is cool and they are enjoying and playing, there is no need to be worried.

Play with them if they play bow, give them cuddles if they stretch in the morning, and love them when they greet you with a greeting stretch.

Author Bio: Hamza Abbasi is a keynote speaker on social media strategy, LinkedIn marketing & social media marketing trainer, MediaHicon digital marketing author, and BestDogsGuide SEO consultant for global organizations.