I am afraid to touch any dog's belly now.
Are you telling me the area in the red triangle on male dogs is off-limits? (And my dog doesn't have testicles, just hard little submerged knots, so I'm scratching the area formerly known as his balls.)
And if this were your female dog, you would keep your hands away from the mid-line beneath the bottom two teats?
And, would one be correct in rubbing the upper belly of the dog above, given that it is peppered with teats?
I woud avoid the teats on the dog below, but not the thigh area. It's important to note that these are dauchsunds, and the lady parts aren't hanging out there all raw and exposed.
Seriously, I really do need to know the rules, because sometimes I rub the bellies of strange dogs, and I don't want to be locked up.
Above the waist. That's all you need to remember. ABOVE THE WAIST, woman!
Posted by: TravelSkite | December 18, 2009 at 01:21 AM
What Dot said. And yes, my cats are very prim, except for Boris who has no qualms about propping himself up on the sofa and showing the family jewels to the world.
Posted by: Becs | December 18, 2009 at 05:11 AM
I'd make the top of triangle a bit higher. But yes, that's pretty much the no touch zone. Unless you WANT the dog to follow you around adoringly.
Posted by: Shania | December 18, 2009 at 07:14 AM
I would show you Buddy's equipment, but he's rather shy except for family.
Posted by: Hattie | December 18, 2009 at 12:00 PM
I have a male dog who doesn't really seem to care about where you rub, as long as your paying attention to him. He doesn't really like it better or worse, but I usually avoid the shafty area because it seems creepy. Same goes for dog labia.
Posted by: Amy in StL | December 18, 2009 at 03:28 PM
Hmmmm. Yeah. I don't do the belly rub at all on dogs. On cats, it's different because it's all covered with fur and you usually get one little skritch in there before they smack your hand away with an indignant, "DO YOU MIND?"
I get that dogs like the belly rub, but there's too many nipples and private parts to navigate.
Posted by: Erin G. | December 18, 2009 at 03:54 PM
I had a male dog that was such a part of the family that I have his birth stone in my "Mother's Ring." I get the whole "lovin' your dog" thing but....
Rubbing in the lower third, for a boy, anywhere around the penis is just icky.
For girl dogs I don't think the nipples have the same sensitivity as a penis so I will rub their "belly" and there may be occasional stimulation of the nipples but I really don't see that as a major erogenous zone on a dog, unlike a penis.
My cats are completely fur covered and seem to tolerate, or not, the belly rub as Erin noted.
Even so, I have a male cat and I have NEVER noticed his male part by sight or otherwise so I think cats are different than dogs. period.
And yes, I do collect eggs warm from the chicken's vent. Chickens don't have separate parts. I don't pleasure the chicken into laying the egg, they do it without any stimulation.
It is soooo much different then giving my dog a hand job.
Sorry, but ick.
Posted by: SurprisingWoman | December 18, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Big Dot - Oh, I'm guts for garters then.
Becs - I've noticed I initially thought it was creepy too, but now as the protst is almost universal I am more and more drawn to it.
Shania - Well, of course the tip is no touch, that's why I didn't include it in the question zone.
Hattie - Actually, I dont know any of those dogs - they were featured on Flcker.
Amy in StL -I have a new technique, which is to put my hands in my lap, fingers up and scratching constantly, and the dog walks about over my hands and positions his belly over where he wants scratching. He has shown no preference for chest vs belly vs teat vs shaft vs nut scratching.
Erin G - You are old enough to get breast exams from the GP. Do you smack him with your claws? No. Penis and breast are not always sexual.
Surprising Woman - Were any of your human children male? How did you clean them and bathe them without ever touching their shafts?
Posted by: TheQueen | December 19, 2009 at 08:44 PM
Rub all you want! It's only fur and skin. Besides I even touch my dog's bits every now and then to check for lumps.
Posted by: Daniel | January 11, 2013 at 02:53 AM
Daniel - you have been overruled, I'm afraid.
Posted by: TheQueen | January 11, 2013 at 11:48 PM