# The scratchy spot



## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

Ok, not sure how to explain this, but I'm sure many of you will understand....
Have you ever petted/scratched your dog in a particular spot and it gets their back leg going making them scratch? I was petting Caeda the other day and she was seeming to just LOVE it, then the leg started going.
I found Caeda's spots.....she has two, one on her chest and one on her back (actually two, one for each leg!). 
So, anybody else found the "spot" on their dog? Anybody know anything about this, why it causes a dog's back leg to start going?


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

I did it one time, and have been trying to find it again ever since! It was so funny, I was scratching him and he was scratching my hand.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I don't know why it itches so good:
1. On either side of the back, a few inches down, not quite over the floating rib.
2. Near the navel.
3. On the top, at the base of the tail, or a little forward.
4. On either side of the throat, in the notch between muscles (?), near the larynx (be careful, b/c pressure on the larynx is irritating).
5. Grimace from scratching on the top, rear scapula, either side ... exquisite pain (?) 
6. Stretch out when scratching near the outside knee of ether back leg.

... I may have inserted these pleasure buttons when he was a puppy


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

Caeda's spots are in the middle of her chest (just below the throat, breastbone area), and on either side of her spine on her ribs, back and forth, a nice loose but not too hard scratch. Her butt, just above her tail makes her look like she is going to do it, but it isn't quite enough to get the scratchy out of her. lol
The look is so funny too, like absolute ecstasy and a twitchy foot, she'll even try to do it if she is standing! 

Now that I've found those spots I'm trying to not do it to her too often, she seems to like it, but I'm sure having somebody play with a reflex like that could get pretty old if I do it too much. She never backs away when/after I do it (though that could be because her foot is busy lol), but I want to keep it an ooooh sooooo gooooood feelin 
Wish I could understand why....so odd!


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## lauren17 (Apr 14, 2009)

Boomers scratchy spot makes him stick his tongue out. We call it his lizard face haha


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## chipinmom (Feb 13, 2012)

I actually looked this up the other day cause I was curious as well (Bentley has a few of these "special" spots lol). This site gives the best explanation of it that I found..

http://animal.discovery.com/guides/dogs/dog-training/behavior/why-do-dogs-shake-their-legs.html


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Yup, I call it "the itchy spot", and it's the chest area on Kit. She also has a spot on her back that makes her shiver if you scratch it.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I think that my dog likes it, so it's a bit more than a knee jerk reflex.

@Swiss, re: "I'm trying to not do it to her too often"
For the past 11 years, every day when I come home from work, I work over my dog on the last 3 items (listed above) for about 5 mins... I don't think I can do it too often


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## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

Biscuit doesn't have a scratchy spot! We've looked for it extensively for months but it doesn't seem to exist. Maybe she's defective? :wink: If you scratch her belly while she's walking, though, she'll stop (and look at you as if to say "quit it"). Maybe that's as close as she gets.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

@Biscuit 
1. when she's on her back, scratch around her navel.
2. When she stands, scratch on her back near her tail and on top of her hips.
3. Scratch about an inch down on both sides of her spine.
4. Lying on her side, massage/scratch around her knee.
5. Scratch her jawbone
6. If she ever sits and stretches, get behind her and scratch on either side of her throat. Don't scratch the middle and don't scratch where it makes her cough or choke.... even if she 'asks'.


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## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

@hanksimon:

No scratchy spots to be found, but Biscuit thanks you for the excuse for an excellent scratching session!  I think most successful is the knee - it causes her to roll on her back and stretch out as long as possible. Very cute.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Should be one on each knee, may be one on the front shoulders (or shoulder blades) 

I never thought about creating a video of all the scratchy spots and my dog's reactions ....


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## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

hanksimon said:


> Should be one on each knee, may be one on the front shoulders (or shoulder blades)
> 
> I never thought about creating a video of all the scratchy spots and my dog's reactions ....


That's a good idea! We should start a video thread....


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

hanksimon said:


> I think that my dog likes it, so it's a bit more than a knee jerk reflex.
> 
> @Swiss, re: "I'm trying to not do it to her too often"
> For the past 11 years, every day when I come home from work, I work over my dog on the last 3 items (listed above) for about 5 mins... I don't think I can do it too often


I think Caeda likes it too, although I'm discovering she is getting even more sensitive in those spots......I think its allergies making her skin more sensitive. I feel bad since she is scratching so much lately I come home and make her scratch more 
Its pretty handy though, stopped her in her tracks when she was being a brat at doggy social last night!


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## swellmomma (Apr 21, 2012)

Delilah has a spot near her collar that makes her actually scratch and do so for a good 30 seconds or so after I stop. And then there is the spots that make her merely kick her leg. She seems to like those spots, generally encountered when she is getting a belly rub, because if I stop she wiggles closer and nudges me to scratch her belly more.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Poca only did the leg thing once in response to a scritch but she does a wonderful butt rock when you scratch her haunches just above and on either side of her tail. She rocks back and forth from foot to foot. It is hilarious! I say, "Oh, she do they butt rock, daddy!" and it makes her rock even harder and arch her back like a cat.


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## itsjustmebre (Mar 29, 2011)

Both my dogs have "scratchy spots", but they don't always work? I'll come back and scratch the exact same spot minutes later and they won't have the reflex lol. It confuses me so much! Oh, and Bailey does that thing where of you rub his back right at the base of his tail, he arches his back like a cat X3 He wriggles away when I do it though, so I try to avoid that spot 

~IJMB


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

@IJMB - try rubbing the base of his tail much more gently. He might like the massage, but it's too sensitive for scratching or hard rubbing ?


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## itsjustmebre (Mar 29, 2011)

I tried it, and he likes it if I rub pretty gently, but it's still not his favorite place to be rubbed 

~IJMB


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