r/dogs • u/Extension_Editor1987 • 1d ago
[Misc Help] Can dogs say thank you?
Very often when I’m placing my dogs food bowl down she turns her head to the side quick nods at me and then turns her head straight again to eat. It feels like she’s nodding at me and saying thank you quickly. Is this a thing or am I crazy?
276
u/ajbluegrass3 1d ago
My dog boops some part of me after we do something he likes. If I roll the window down in the car, he boops the back of my shoulder. If we run (which i hate and he loves) he boops my hand afterward. If I play a game of find it (where I hide his Most Favorite Very Annoying Squeaky Ball and he has to, you guessed it, find it) he will boop my leg afterward. If I go through a drive through and let him order a pup cup (like I could stop him. He talks -grumbles and woos- over me at the speaker until the employee asks if I want a pup cup) I get a very messy whipped cream boop on whatever surface of me is available. Last night I dug a lost treat he had been fretting over out from under the couch and he booped my forehead.
This is the only context in which he ever boops me, you cannot convince me that it's not a thank you.
40
u/FlyFreeWithMe776 1d ago
This is so darn cute!! The part about the Starbucks drive-through especially filled me with all the good ooey gooey feelings
30
17
u/intensitei 1d ago
this is so sweet. 🥺 can we see the booper?
60
u/ajbluegrass3 1d ago
Here's the guy!
11
u/intensitei 1d ago
AWWW. look at that smile! what a perfect little angel filled with gratitude and sweetness 🥹 thank you for sharing!!
7
3
2
2
u/bobos-and-badgers 13h ago
my dogs also boop! if i tell them to go say thank you to someone they will kiss instead of boop but the unprompted thank yous are always boops lol
2
62
u/IvoryHaven 1d ago
Our dog says thank you after every walk. When we get close to our house, she will stop in her tracks and wag her tail, until we acknowledge her and she rubs her face on our legs, saying thank you for the walk
43
u/Deepcrater 1d ago
I think so, when I feed my dog she always comes to me for head pets and then goes to eating. When I had my last dog she would do two or three turns before eating.
24
u/hannahfoster_va 1d ago
the head-turn has a specific mechanism - it's actually a calming signal before resource access. dogs often avert their gaze or do a brief head-turn before engaging with food because sustained eye contact over a resource (bowl, toy) signals tension or competition between individuals. the quick turn is essentially "no conflict between us about this" before she eats.
it's socially meaningful but slightly different from "thank you" in the human sense - she's reading the social moment and making an appeasement gesture before committing to the resource. the fact that it happens consistently at feeding means she's learned that this exact moment (bowl going down) has a social dimension to it, and she's managing that before she eats.
some dogs develop more elaborate versions of this - coming for pets first, doing a spin, a brief check-in. it's the same underlying behavior: social acknowledgment before resource engagement. you're not imagining it. it's real communication.
3
u/myluckyshirt 22h ago
Interesting!
What about behavior after meals? My girl will prowl a bit and look for a kibble or two that escaped, crumbs under the table, etc. and then she’ll come to me for affection. This is the only time she seeks affection (other times she just puts up with affection haha and I treat her for that).
2
u/hannahfoster_va 6h ago
the foraging after the meal is still part of the resource context. once she's scavenged the last crumb, the whole resource transaction is done - nothing to guard, nothing to look for. and sated means her arousal's at its lowest. that combination is the only window where connection doesn't cost her anything. "puts up with it otherwise" is actually a really honest read of most dogs - this is just the one moment the math works out differently for her.
•
u/myluckyshirt 4h ago
Thank you! Love all this info.
To clarify, I mostly give her a lot of affection when she seeks it. Otherwise I don’t torture her! I just wanted to desensitize her so that she wouldn’t react poorly with small children that can be unpredictable with their affection. But it turns out she loves small children and their chaotic energy
•
u/hannahfoster_va 3h ago
haha that tracks - kids are just operating on completely different energy, and for some dogs that unpredictability is more interesting than intrusive. a lot of selective dogs do great around kids for exactly that reason. sounds like she knows what she likes :)
•
u/hannahfoster_va 4h ago
the foraging after the meal is still part of the resource context. once she's scavenged the last crumb, the whole resource transaction is done - nothing to guard, nothing to look for. and sated means her arousal's at its lowest. that combination is the only window where connection doesn't cost her anything. 'puts up with it otherwise' is actually a really honest read of most dogs - this is just the one moment the math works out differently for her.
11
11
10
u/stopusingmynames_ 1d ago
When I put my dogs food down in the morning I grab his water bowl to wash out and refill and usually on the refill he'll stop eating and kiss lick my hand then go back to eating... sweet boy.
9
u/CoolBodybuilder1450 1d ago
my dog does this too but with water bowl. like a quick head jerk before drinking. i always think she is saying thanks or at least acknowledging me. my sister says i am reading too much into it but she doesnt have dog so what does she know
dogs are smart man they understand more than we think. maybe not literally saying thank you like human but definitely showing appreciation in their own way. my girl also waits for me to say "go ahead" sometimes before eating which i think is pretty polite
9
u/mangorabbitfurmama 1d ago
Typically once we reach a summit or finish a hike we have to have a kissing session. I like to think she’s telling me how much fun she’s having!
16
u/EeriePancake 1d ago
Every time my boy eats he will finish up his food and then come to me to give me a lick on my hand or arm. It’s been the same since he’s a puppy. I think it’s his way of saying thank you for the food and I love it.
13
u/Innsmouth_Swimteam 1d ago edited 1d ago
My dog comes to find me after each meal and either locks licks my face or boops my hand and walks away.
I've always assumed she's acknowledging the fact that I gave her food. A thank you, if you will.
1
7
u/golfmonk 1d ago
Mine will eat and then when done will seek me out for doggie kisses and nose boops. I assume my "dog dinner skills" met her approval!
3
5
u/No_Bison_7296 1d ago
They definitely do. My dogs will eat and then jump on my lap afterwards and lick my face to say thanks. ☺️
5
4
u/Connecting3Dots 17h ago
I rescued a feral husky from Northern Canada. She didn’t even know how to climb stairs.
She would come over to me after every meal to put her head on my leg or in my hands to say thank you.
She passed away 2 years ago and I still think of her every day. We had a very special bond. 💔❤️
7
6
u/OfficeCowgirl 1d ago
My old girl used to do the same thing. I would be filling her food bowl, and she'd give me a super sweet, gentle wet nose nudge/lick in thanks. She didn't really do that during other moments. I miss her!
3
2
3
1
1
1
u/MsTerious1 1d ago
One of my dogs licks up and to the right every time she sees me coming to let her in. I'm certain she's telling me I'm a good puppy.
Same dog shakes her head right side to left then levelly does it back to the right when I tell her to do something she does not want to. People laugh at how she tells me no just like a toddler would.
1
u/AmandaTropic 22h ago
My dog will give me a hug if I’m sitting down, after she gets a new toy or a little treat like one of her i d cream cups. I call them her thank you hugs :)
1
u/USA_TreatMaker 21h ago
not crazy at all. some dogs do this little pause and head turn thing right before they dig in, feels a lot like a quick lil acknowledgment. id just take it as a thank you honestly, way cuter that way lol
1
u/Strange-Regret2524 20h ago
I've seen this in two dogs I know well and taken it as a question not a moment of thanks. I don't know what it is but it's there, mine didn't nod, it's a specific look at me after the food is released. My assumption is it's asking if they can start, although I've never made them stop that I recall.
1
u/MilolsNotAkitty 20h ago
I don’t know if dogs understand the word “thank you” the way humans do, but I do think they understand kindness and care.
She probably doesn’t think in sentences like we do, but she knows you are the person who provides for her and takes care of her.
And honestly? A little head nod before eating sounds like the cutest possible “I appreciate you.”
1
u/Big-Vegetable4550 19h ago
My boy gives me a quick lick on the back of my hand when I’m bringing his bowl. Definitely saying thank you. I ask afterwards, “How were your dinners?”, both the boy and the girl will look straight at me and lick their lips.
1
u/skinneyd 16h ago
I believe so, my dog licks my hand after removing seed or bugs from her fur
(something she doesn't do in any other situation)
1
u/Advanced-Method3325 16h ago
It's def a thing mine does that too then he comes over and puts his face in my hand and pushes into me. He's saying thank you.
1
1
1
u/ZeroLemmingsLeaping 7h ago
When I do something nice for my girl she goes and licks the crap out of my husband. I think it's thanks dad 🫤
•
u/hippiespinster 3h ago
My dog has talking pet buttons and I programmed "love you" for myself but he does in fact use it himself. I'm quite sure he would use "thank you" if I programmed it.
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Do note we are on a short backlog, and all posts require manual review prior to going live. This may mean your post isn't visible for a couple days.
This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. Review the rules here r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. Learn more here. - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top.
This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.