Let's imagine a situation: a dog lay down on its back in front of its owner. Why did it do this?
It would seem that the answer is obvious: the pet is counting on the person to scratch its tummy.
But it's not that simple. It turns out that being on your back doesn't always indicate that your barking four-legged friend wants to enjoy a massage.
It is possible that the dog is trying to “tell” his owner something else.
Yes, it is quite possible that your dog wants his belly scratched.
Or it may be that the pet is just playing.
But the following cannot be ruled out: the dog chose a dangerous position for itself (the stomach is a vulnerable place for a dog) in order to demonstrate its submission to the owner.
It's as if the dog wants to tell the person: "I accept your dominant role."
If a dog that has rolled over onto its back is very tense, if its ears are visible pressed back, and if the pet is looking somewhere to the side, then it is not worth giving your four-legged friend a massage.
The thing is that the dog lay down on his back precisely to demonstrate devotion, and not to play.
However, it may also be that the dog wants to show the person not so much submission as trust: “I trust you, so I’m not afraid to open my belly in front of you.”
In this case, the animal will be relaxed. It is quite possible to scratch the tummy of such a pet.