If your dog is getting its head stuck in you often, you may be wondering what the reason is and what you can do to stop it. This post will highlight five reasons that dogs do this, and also how you can bring it down. The reasons your dog is prone to burying its head in yours include fear of separation and comfort, fearfulness in order to leave its scent, or have learned that this behavior is rewarding.
Why your dog is able to burrow its head in your face
Here are a few possibilities for why it’s been going on and the reasons that make each one more likely.
Anxiety about separation:
The reason it does it could be because it suffers from anxiety about separation. This is because it is not a fan of being at home and the idea of being left alone triggers anxiety. This is probable to be the case when your dog is known to perform this behavior more frequently in the moments before you go away and becomes anxious prior to going to leave.
Comfort:
Dogs evolved to be pack animals and therefore naturally feel more secure in the presence of other dogs within the pack or with other dogs. The reason your dog burry head in you could be due to the fact that it makes it feel safe.
Fearfulness:
Another reason it is doing this could be because something is causing it to be scared. It’s more likely if the animal has performed it frequently at an exact time of the day where the chances are higher to fear for instance, when you hear noises outside or when in the open and around other animals.
Encouragement of the behavior:
The reason could be due to the fact that it has learned that this behavior is rewarding. If you are prone to giving your dog treats, toys, or attention, and then it lays its head in yours, it’s likely to perform the same thing again to earn more rewards.
To disperse its scent:
It could be that it does this to spread its scent over you to ensure that other dogs aren’t able to approach you. It’s more likely in the event that it could be too protective near other dogs, and in the event that it likes to place its head inside you when you’re standing or when you’re around other animals.
What else transpired at the time it began to do it:
If your dog was not always lying down and burying its head in you, it is helpful to look at what else went on at the time it began to do it. If it began to do the behavior suddenly and suddenly, it could be because of circumstances like the fact that it was learned that the behavior is rewarding or something that caused it to become fearful.
What’s different about HTML0 when it is:
It’s also important to think about the time it occurs since it could be that the timing has some connection to it. For instance, if the problem is more frequent when you leave your home, it is much more probable to occur caused by anxiety about separation.
It is the body language that it displays:
It’s also helpful to look at the body language that it displays when it is doing it. If it is displaying signs of being calm, it could be more likely the case that it is expressing affection or doing it simply because it is to be comfortable. If it does show signs of anxiety like the tail being tucked away or whining then it’s more likely to be that something is that is causing it to become nervous or in a state of submissive.
What can we do?
Below are a few choices you can make to deal with the behavior.
Avoid encouraging it:
Like we said it could have learned that behavior is a reward. Instead, it is best to encourage it to behave in the manner you would like it to, and refrain from rewarding it, using things like attention even if it is not.
Limit the reasons it could be anxious
If your dog is having signs of anxiety It is also helpful to identify the reasons the dog is anxious. The things to consider consist of feeding the dog letting it go to the bathroom and exercising it prior to leaving and leaving it in a place that’s not too noisy and in a place with a comfortable place to lay.
Redirect its primary focus:
Another option is to attempt to redirect your focus to something else whenever it’s about to sink its head in your body. The things to divert its attention toward could be toys or even a bone. By doing this, it could be able to get out of the habit of digging its head into yours.
You can give it a second sleeping space:
It is also helpful to provide it with another spot to rest to reduce the chance that it will be likely to pop up and sink its head in your body.
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