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my dobe seems to NEED to be touching me all the time, its a love/trust/contact/comfort thing...some breeds are just incredibly snuggly and need to be in close contact with their people!
This is our female german shepherd.
I never knew a huge dog could be a cuddle bug, I always thought I needed a small dog for this.
Both of mine climb on me for petting and scratching (55 and 60 lbs - so they completely cover the available lap real estate!). Both will sleep near me, and generally place their heads on my feet or legs and then sleep while I watch TV. I have read the "dominance" theory stuff, but never interpreted this type of touching as anything other than a "love" type action (love is probably a bad word, but is near enough to convey the connection between the dogs and myself).
If my dogs feel threatened on a walk, they both move BEHIND me for me to decide the danger/threat level! (Thanks, guys! I feel so safe now!), so I don't think the touching behaviors are attempts to dominate me, but rather a "love" type social behavior.
I had a dog that would sit on my face as soon as I laid down near her. She wasn't a dominant dog. She did it on purpose for fun! She would often touch me. She'd paw me until I held her paw. Then she'd just sit next to me looking very content. Otherwise, she'd sit next to me and lean or she'd sit on my foot or stand next to me with one of her side slightly touching my leg. At night, she would lay next to me or between me and my husband and she'd only feel comfortable if a part of her was touching one or both of us through the night. I didn't mind it. I did miss that for a long time after she passed though. Dogs like to be touched. They do that with the other pets especially another dog you may have in the house. They enjoy cats for this reason as well. Cats are great for a warm body for comfort.
My dogs automatically cover my feet when I'm curled on the couch or on the bed. At night they lie along my back, head to head with their backs against mine. It's about affection and warmth.
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), so I don't think the touching behaviors are attempts to dominate me, but rather a "love" type social behavior.
