Dogs are often known to be highly emotional, enough so that they might as well be wearing their hearts on their sleeves as they usually express their emotions openly without any hesitation.
If you have recently started to notice your dog burying their head into you, you might wonder, “why does my dog bury his head into me?”
This article will deal with some reasons why a dog would want to bury their head into you rather frequently at random intervals.
Why does my dog bury his head into me – the reasons
If your query of “why does my dog bury his head into me” is troubling you due to the recent gesture of your dog doing the said action, then you should rest assured!
For if your dog is burying his head into you, that means he considers you to be one of his closest friends and is showing you his affection by burying his head into you.
A dog can also bury their head into you to feel comfortable for itself, mainly if it is anxious or stressed; it can elicit it to bury its head into you to seek relief from stress. If your dog is burying his head into you while sleeping, that implies they are trying to seek comfort from possible stress.
Although, in some cases, if the dog has suddenly started burying his head into you, then there might be a different reason, such as:
Separation Anxiety:
If you are the type to usually be outside and go out a lot more than usual, then your dog might feel the effects of separation anxiety. In this case, he might be restless and pace around constantly without sitting down, and once he meets you again, he might become excited enough to bury his head into you and lick you all over.
Attention:
Sometimes, a dog may bury their head into its owner’s body if they need to incite the owner’s attention; this may be due to them wanting to play with the owner and hence essentially ‘nudging’ them up.
If your dog is doing this to you, he might want to play around with you and indulge in some free time.
They might be in pain:
If your dog has received an injury, then he might be burying his head into you as a sign of seeking comfort from the painful injury they have suffered. At times, the pain might not just be from the injury and could be related to an underlying medical condition.
Why does my dog bury his head into me? Most of the time, your dog does it to seek comfort and show affection. Therefore this action from your dog doesn’t need any medical attention from a vet or concern from you.
If you see some abnormal behavior from your dog, such as pressing its head into a flat surface, it might warrant medical attention from an animal vet.
Why does my dog bury his head in me ? Should I stop it ?
Why does my dog bury his head into me? Should I stop it? As has been said, a dog typically buries their head into an owner if they trust them and are affectionate about making such a gesture.
If your dog is burying his head into you, you shouldn’t need to stop them unless you have some allergy or are busy at the moment they are trying to do it.
Otherwise, your dog burying his head into you will relieve them from stress and reinvigorate them for the rest of the day.
While this gesture may be adorable, if your dog keeps burying his head into you at a moment’s notice every time, then it might be time to try and train them to do this less often.
You may encourage them when they don’t bury their head into you and reward them. Also, do this only if your dog’s habit is causing you a nuisance. You may also try giving your dog a toy to direct their focus away, as a toy is something that all dogs love.
Why does my dog press his head ?
If your dog presses his head against a wall or any other sort of flat surface for extended periods, it might irk you to see your dog doing such a thing. And rightly so, for such a behavior can indicate a more problematic issue, such as nerve damage from various infections, it could also be the indication of some of the following disorders:
- Tumors
- Head Trauma
- Fungus infection
- Rabies
These are some disorders in which your dog might press his head against a wall and hold it there for extended periods.
If you notice this, take your dog to an animal vet immediately and get some tests done to see what medical issue is causing such behavior.
Getting your dog checked up is especially urgent as the head pressing might indicate hydrocephalus (water in the brain), which can generally be lethal for a dog if not treated on time. Hydrocephalus can also cause brain damage due to the fluid buildup in the skull.
Why does my dog bury his head into me – bottom line
Why does my dog bury his head into me? If your dog has the habit of burying his head into you, this is more or less related to the emotion of the dog who considers you his best friend. Therefore it would be prudent to let them do it unless it starts bothering you.
