It's only humans who think that petting dogs on the head gives them pleasure and delight.
In the case of a personal dog, this may be so. But it is better not to appease unfamiliar dogs with such affection, and there are reasons for this.
According to dog experts, in the canine world, a paw placed on an animal's head indicates aggression and suppression of the will.
With humans, it’s different – stroking the head indicates a manifestation of love and care, which cats readily take advantage of.
Dogs, like their closest relatives wolves and foxes, as well as jackals and other members of the family, during fights try to pin the head of the defeated animal to the ground.
The gesture can be translated into human language as a demand to recognize defeat and the power of the winner.
Similarly, a dog can interpret a person’s hand extended towards its head, which can cause it some discomfort.
In the case of domestic dogs, there are pleasant exceptions when the dog happily responds to scratching behind the ear.
And even in this case, when stroking the dog on the head, you need to watch its behavior.
If the ears are turned back, the tail is tucked in and the dog often licks its nose, then most likely the dog is tense and does not enjoy human affection.
