“Why does my dog bury his head in me?” If you’re asking yourself the same question, you’re not the only one.
For most of us, a little nuzzle from our pooch is the difference between a good day and a bad day. When you come home from a hard day at the office, and your dog presses their forehead against you, it’s amazing how fast your worries disappear.
But is it as normal as it seems?
…Should we be engaging with the behavior, even encouraging it?
…Or is it a problem that needs to be nipped in the bud?
It’s tempting to think it’s all fine and dandy. After all, dogs are part of the family. And how else do family members show their affection other than with kisses and cuddling, hugs, and nuzzles?
When your dog rests their head on your shoulder, nuzzles your neck with their muzzle, or buries their head in your lap, it’s just a sign that they love you, right?
Right… Except when it’s not.
Like most things, the issue is a little more complicated than it sometimes seems. In a lot of cases, your dog’s behavior is exactly what you imagine… they’re simply showing you just how much they care.
In other cases, the reasons can be very different…. and quite a bit less wholesome.
Anxiety, dominance, fear, and even illness can all result in a dog deciding to use your body as a shelf for their head.
Unfortunately, the only way of finding out if that’s the case is to take a deep dive into your dog’s psychology. It’s not necessarily going to be easy. But the sooner you figure out what’s driving your dog’s behavior, the sooner you’ll know what work needs to be done to address it.
Talking of what you can do to address it…
Asides from showing affection, one of the primary motivators for this kind of behavior is anxiety. And if there’s one thing all anxious dogs will benefit from, it’s a little calm.
The 5 step-by-step calming exercises from the Online Dog Trainer, Dan Abdelnoor, (see video below) have been designed to help any dog do that one thing that all dogs struggle with from time to time…
…Control their emotions.
Once you introduce the exercises into your routine, you should soon notice a dramatic improvement in your dog’s control and focus.
Here’s the link to check them out: 5 Step-By-Step Calming Exercises To Quickly Eliminate Your Dogs Anxiety, Stress, & Obsessive Needy Behavior…
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Why Does My Dog Bury His Head in Me?
When you welcome a dog into your life, you also welcome a lot of kisses, licking, and nuzzling. Being slobbered over is just part and parcel of a dog parent’s life, and for the most part, that’s a-ok.
But should we be concerned when those little displays of affection start becoming more and more frequent? Are they really just a sign of unconditional love…. or is there something more sinister at work?
Honestly? …It depends.
While life would be lovely if every question had a clear-cut answer, it doesn’t work that way – especially if we’re talking dogs.
As you can see from this little collection of explanations, some of the possible reasons for your dog’s behavior are as sweet as candy. Others might leave a sour taste in your mouth.
Possessiveness
Dogs can be incredibly territorial. If they stake a claim to a particular patch, they’ll do whatever it takes to defend it.
Yards, cars, objects, and even people can all come under their jurisdiction.
If they’ve decided you’re ‘theirs,’ it’s possible they’re using the scent glands in their face to mark their territory when they nuzzle you. Essentially, it’s their way of letting other dogs know that you’ve already been claimed and aren’t up for grabs.
While it might be nice to think your dog considers you’re worth ‘owning,’ this kind of possessive, territorial behavior isn’t desirable. Left unchecked, it can lead to some pretty unpleasant consequences.
Comfort
It might be a long time since dogs were running around wild and free, but some of their instincts from the old days are still very much intact.
In the wild, wolves will often nuzzle other members of the pack to comfort them. Although it’s always problematic to attribute human emotions to animals, it seems they really are capable of empathy… as, indeed, are their domesticated descendants.
If a dog senses we’re feeling below par, they might nuzzle us to show solidarity and support.
It also works the other way around. Puppies will lick and nuzzle their mothers to pacify themselves. When they grow up, they continue the behavior with us.
If your dog is pushing their head into your lap, it could simply be that they’re looking for a little comfort.
It might be that they’ve had a bad day and feel a little blue. It could be that something or someone (a person, a dog, a loud noise) is making them scared and anxious.
Whatever it is, if it’s enough to make them feel uncomfortable and tense, it’s natural for them to seek out reassurance.
Dominance
Sometimes, nudging is a sign of submission. Other times, it’s anything but.
If a dog with strong pack leader instincts nudges you, it could be to show their dominance over you. If that’s the case, the behavior will usually be accompanied by other, equally unwanted behaviors like barking, blocking your path, and mounting.
As you’d expect, this kind of nudging isn’t the kind you should allow to continue.
Related Post: How To Calm An Aggressive Dog – Simple Tips For Aggressive Behavior
Affection
With cats, there’s always a question over whether they actually love us or simply see us as convenient food dispensers. With dogs, it’s not even a question. They love us, truly, madly, deeply.
Most of the time, they’ll content themselves with showing that love with a little lick and a kiss. Other times, they get so overcome with emotion, they can’t resist nuzzling us just as hard as they can.
Conditioning
Victim blaming is bad, no question. But when it comes to human-canine interactions, we might be more complicit than we realize.
After all, who can honestly say they don’t get all warm and fuzzy when their dog nuzzles up to them? Not me for sure, and I bet you can’t either.
The problem is, when we get a little kick out of a certain behavior, we tend to reward it. We lavish them with attention, turn the affection up to a hundred, and dole out the treats like a Pez dispenser.
Naturally enough, that simply encourages your dog to do more of the same. Dogs aren’t stupid, after all. Once they learn that nuzzling gets them what they love most (treats, mainly, but your attention isn’t exactly a downer either), they’ll keep doing it.
Attention-Seeking
Dogs are many things, but stupid, they most certainly aren’t. If they want something badly enough, they’ll usually figure out a way to get it.
Maybe they want food, a toy, or even just your undivided attention. Whatever it is, pushing their head into you is a great way of making sure neither they nor their demands go ignored.
Illness
When we feel ill, we can go to the doctor and tell them all about it. Dogs can’t. They’re stuck with us instead.
If your dog is pushing their head into you, it could be that they feel sick or have a headache.
If they’re also pushing their head into random objects and keeping it there, it could be a sign of something that requires prompt veterinary attention.
How to Stop Your Dog Burying His Head
As we’ve seen, there’s no end of reasons your dog might be burying their head in you. Some of them are innocent, some of them are less so.
Once you understand the intention and context of the behavior, you’ll be able to decide on the next steps.
Most of the time, figuring out what a dog is trying to say is as simple as watching their body language.
If they’re wagging their tail, if their eyes are bright and shiny, and if they seem to be over-the-moon to see you, the behavior is likely to be a sign of affection.
If that’s the case, there’s nothing at all to be worried about.
On the other hand, if your dog seems tense, scared, or anxious, then it’s time to take action.
Where do you start? …With these 5 step-by-step calming exercises.
If you haven’t yet watched the video, now’s the time to do it.
Regardless of what’s making your dog anxious or stressed, teaching them how to manage those emotions will be far more effective in the long run than simply allowing them to nuzzle into you.
A calm, controlled dog is a happy dog. It’s also a dog that’s going to respond to the following training and behavioral techniques far better than one who’s a victim to their nerves.
Don’t Encourage the Behaviour
If your dog is scared or anxious, turning them away when they nuzzle you isn’t helpful. If your dog is nuzzling you because they’ve figured out it’s the best way to get your attention, then you need to stop rewarding the behavior.
That doesn’t mean you should scold them or use physical punishment (FYI: punishment doesn’t work and could seriously damage the bond you have with your dog), but it does mean you shouldn’t respond with treats, affection, and extra attention.
Don’t Turn Them Away
If your dog’s behavior has its roots in anxiety, fear, or distress, don’t turn them away.
Their constant need for love and support might be draining, but rejection isn’t the answer.
The only thing it’ll achieve is to make them feel unloved and alone… something an already stressed dog is really not going to benefit from.
Reassure them with a soft, gentle touch and a soothing voice. Over time, you’ll need to figure out what’s bothering them and work to address it with the appropriate behavioral training.
Once you do that, you should automatically begin to notice a reduction in their nuzzling.
In the meantime, these 5 step-by-step calming exercises will help your dog feel calmer and more controlled – two things that every stressed or anxious dog stands to benefit from.
Provide Distractions
If your dog is nuzzling you repeatedly because they’re bored and haven’t got anything better to do. Work to reduce their attention-seeking behavior by giving them something more productive to do with their time.
Chews, interactive games, and food dispensing toys can all keep your dog stimulated, happy, and far too busy to bother you.
Bring on the Exercise
Playful behavior is natural, but when a dog doesn’t get as much exercise as they need, it can quickly develop into something altogether more obnoxious.
Exercise isn’t a cure-all, but it can work wonders at curbing undesirable behaviors. If your idea of exercise extends to a 5 minute wander around the yard, it’s time to find new ways for your dog to blow off some steam.
Walks are a must, but games like tug-of-war and frisbee have their uses too.
Remember, a tired dog is a happy dog… and a happy dog is going to be much less inclined to seek solace in your lap than one who’s stressed, bored, and miserable.
Assert your Authority
If your dog is nuzzling you to show their dominance or out of possessiveness, it’s time to show them who wears the trousers in the relationship.
Being the pack leader doesn’t mean shouting, scolding, or handing out arbitrary punishments. It simply means that what you say goes.
Obedience training is a great way of teaching your dog to respect your leadership status. It doesn’t have to be complicated – start with the basics like ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘come,’ and ‘leave’ and gradually work your way up.
While we’re on the subject of training, don’t forget to implement the 5 step-by-step calming exercises. Not only will they calm your dog down and encourage them to focus on your training sessions. But they’ll also do a great job of demonstrating your leadership skills.
Wrapping Things Up
Of all the possible problems you could have with a dog, a little nuzzling might not seem a big deal. And in a lot of cases, it’s not.
If it’s done in play, in love, or as a way of offering you some comfort, there’s no reason to worry. If, on the other hand, it’s done out of fear, anxiety, or dominance, take it as a call to action.
In these cases, the nuzzling may be a symptom of a wider problem – a problem that, left unchecked, could lead to further issues down the line.
Fortunately, very few problems are insurmountable. And once you know what’s driving the behavior, you can start supporting your dog to overcome it.
