My dachsie does a neck hold on me

Question
I have a 2-year-old red, smooth, standard male dachshund. Frequently, when I lie on the couch, he places his neck on my neck as if to attempt to hold me down. What does this act signify? Is he playing, or trying to protect or pin me down, or what? And why? (Actually, it's really hard to get up when he does this. LOL)

Answer
Dear Chris,

I honestly have no idea why he does this, and I haven't heard of this behavior before either.  From the "LOL" in your message it seems that he is not getting aggressive when you remove him from this position, so it seems harmless enough.  If however he gets growly or worse, snappy when you remove him, just stop letting him do it from now on.  My guess is that he just likes the contact and it's his individual way of bonding with you.  But I could be wrong so keep an eye on his reaction when you move him.

Good luck and thanks for writing.
Suzanne Harris, BSc, CPDT
http://www.dogdaysUSA.com