Dogs definitely have some strange habits that, as a dog owner, might make you laugh and wonder “why on EARTH is he/she doing that?” One thing that some dogs might do is cover their face with their paws on certain occasions. There are a few possible reasons why they might be doing this. So let’s delve right into the question that you were all wondering, why do dogs cover their faces?
Why do dogs cover their faces?
They are itchy
That’s right, your dog gets itchy too and covering their face with their paws might be their way of trying to relieve that itch! The occasional paw to the face is perfectly normal but if your dog is doing it all the time and seems to be in distress also, they could have some kind of pain on their face. Putting their hands of the sore area might be their way of telling you that they are not feeling so good. A trip to the vets might be necessary in this instance.
They are feeling anxious
When a dog sees something they don’t like or that agitates them in some way, they might cover their face (hence, bringing their paws up.) It’s an involuntary reaction that some dogs have but it does depend on their individual personality. Really try and pay attention to WHEN your dog is putting their paws to their face and evaluate if there is anything in the area that could have triggered the reaction.
It might not just be anxiety/fear; however, your dog might do this if he is feeling ANY kind of emotion including happiness. Getting to know your dog and their habits further is going to help you assess what kind of emotion they are displaying.
It makes you happy
Dogs are VERY intuitive animals and the likelihood is when he covers his face with his paws, you think it’s oh so cute and give him lots of attention! Your dog notices this and keeps this habit up in order to keep you happy and because he loves that attention.
He is submitting to you
Even though dogs are pack animals, a domesticated dog will know there are rules and will do their best to stick to them. They are very committed animals and your dog is sure to absolutely adore you. A dog putting his paws to its face could be them submitting to you. Perhaps they jumped up on the furniture and you told them off, this could be their way of an apology and submitting to their owner.
Conclusion
I hope answering the question why do dogs cover their faces has helped you understand your pooch a little better and has hopefully put your mind to ease slightly. Most reasons for dogs putting their paws to their face are entirely innocent and nothing to worry about. Getting on their wavelength and seeing things from their eyes from time to time will help you become an even better dog owner than what you are already!
Guest post provided by www.pettoy.co.uk
