You have probably already noticed that your best friend tends to shake daily, mainly when he wakes up. But why do dogs shake? Did you know that dogs don't always shake for the same reason? That's right, the shaking of your furry can occur for different reasons, from canine language to he alth problems.
In this article on our site, we'll detail the various reasons that explain why dogs shake and when this behavior becomes a red flag for guardians. Shall we start?
When a dog shakes, what does it mean?
There is no single reason why dogs shake. As is often the case, given the complexity and diversity of canine body language, the same behavior can have different meanings, depending on the context or the occasion in which it occurs.
So, if you want to know what it means when a dog shakes, you need to pay attention to his behavior, his body language and the environment in which the shaking occurs. It is also important to identify if the jerks are occasional, for example after bathing or getting wet, or if they are constantNext, we will briefly explain the main reasons why dogs shake:
Your dog shakes himself dry
You have probably already noticed that your dog shakes himself after taking a bath, coming back from a walk in the rain or after getting his fur wet in some game or water sport. Dogs shake when they get wet because, by reproducing this movement quickly and intensely, they remove some of the water accumulated in their coat and skin. In other words, shaking acts as a natural drying method in dogs.
However, your dog can't dry himself completely just by shaking himself. For this reason, it is essential that you dry it very well after bathing it or sharing some water activity. Do not forget that the accumulation of moisture in their skin and hair favors the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.
Dogs shake to express their mood
Many guardians wonder why their dog shakes himself as if he were wet, even though his coat is completely dry. In most cases they do it when they feel stressed or bored.
Boredom and stress in dogs are often associated with a sedentary routine and/or a negative environment. When a dog does not receive adequate physical and mental stimulation, or does not have an enriched environment, he needs to find other ways to spend his energy and release tension.
Then, the dog can adopt some behaviors that help relieve the symptoms of stress or boredom. For example, shaking the dog reduces muscle tension, which gives him a feeling of relief But in case he continues to experience a boring or stressful routine, you can develop behavioral problems, such as destructiveness among many others.
In more serious cases, when the stress becomes chronic, the dog may even present stereotypes, which are characterized by the incessant repetition of certain behaviors or actions, such as shaking. Therefore, if you notice that your dog is constantly shaking, we advise you to go to a veterinary ethologist to verify the cause of this behaviour.
Why do dogs shake when they get up?
Upon waking up, it is normal for dogs to feel the need to shake themselves to change their mood, feel more energetic and prepare their body to start the new day. It is also very common for dogs to shake themselves when going outside for the first time after waking up, especially during the winter. In this case, shaking usually relieves the strange sensation generated by the sudden change in temperature, especially when the dog leaves a heated environment and experiences the cold for the first time.
In this sense, it is important to remember not only that dogs feel cold, but also that low temperatures can seriously harm their he alth. In winter, our furry friends are more vulnerable to colds and flu, and if they are exposed to the elements they can also develop hypothermia. For this reason, it is essential to protect them and shelter them well during the coldest season of the year, avoiding leaving them exposed to adverse weather conditions.
Your dog shakes off dirt and external parasites
If your dog usually plays outside the house and/or outdoors, it is very likely that it will come into contact with dirt, twigs, leaves, soil, grassand other items that can stick to your hair. For this reason, it is normal for him to occasionally shake himself to remove these residues from his coat and skin, preventing them from causing itching, discomfort or illness.
But if your dog is constantly shaking and scratching, we advise you to check his entire body carefully to check for fleas, mites or ticks attached to his skin. Ectoparasite bites usually cause discomfort and itching, so another reason why dogs shake is to get rid of external parasites and relieve these discomforts. In this sense, we remind you of the importance of regularly deworming your dogs to avoid parasite infestations and prevent the various diseases that can be transmitted to our best friends.
In summer, it is also very common to see dogs shaking themselves to to drive away mosquitoes and other insects that try to bite them. In addition to being very annoying, there are several diseases that mosquitoes can transmit to dogs, such as canine leishmaniasis and dirofilariosis (also known as "heartworm").
My dog shakes and scratches his ear, is this normal?
If you notice that your dog shakes his ears a lot and tries to scratch his head, these may be symptoms of canine otitis or the presence of some foreign body in his ear canal. So what should you do?
The first thing to do is to check if your dog has something in his ear or if there are signs of inflammation or infection in his ears, such as reddened skin or an unpleasant odor. Next, we will show you what the main symptoms of otitis in dogs are so that you can recognize them more easily when checking your furry's ears.
In both cases, the next step will be take your best friend to the vet to confirm the cause of his constant shaking, and start the most appropriate treatment to normalize their he alth and behavior.
Symptoms of otitis in dogs
Otitis in dogs is one of the most common diseases in dogs, characterized by inflammation of the ear canal generally associated with an infection. The symptoms of otitis can appear suddenly or manifest gradually, depending mainly on the he alth of the dog and the hygiene of the ear canal.
- Unpleasant odor around the ears
- Inflammation of the ear canal, which often causes the skin of the outer pinna to appear red and thicken
- Constantly flicking ears
- Scratching on the head, especially near the ears
- Sensitivity or pain in the ears
- Keep your head on one side
- Discharge from ear canal
- Excessive wax formation, which may cause plugs
- Loss of balance
- Walking in circles
- Partial or total hearing loss
- Behavior changes: the dog may appear sadder than usual, or become more easily irritated due to hypersensitivity.
How to clean my dog's ears?
One of the best ways to prevent otitis in dogs is by regularly cleaning their ears. A correct hygiene is essential to prevent the accumulation of dirt and moisture in the auditory pavilion of our best friends, helping to prevent infections. Mainly when we decided to adopt dogs with a natural predisposition to develop otitis, such as the Labrador Retriever, the Cocker Spaniel, the Beagle, the Shar Pei, among others.
However, many guardians are apprehensive about cleaning their dogs' ears for fear of hurting them. With this in mind, we have put together an article on our site to teach you how to clean your dog's ears easily and safely. Do not miss these tips!
Other reasons why dogs shake
Before we end our article, we want to mention two other reasons why dogs shake:
- Problems emptying the anal glands In general, when dogs have a problem discharging their anal glands, they tend to drag ass on the ground. However, some dogs may also resort to shaking to relieve the discomfort they feel when their glands are full. If you notice that your dog rubs his ass on the ground and constantly shakes himself, you should go to the veterinary center to check if his anal glands are inflamed. Furthermore, in AnimalWised, we explain the causes and tell you what to do when a dog's anal glands become inflamed.
- Your dog shakes after a petting or grooming session. Your best friend loves to enjoy your company and share with you Funny activities. However, our demonstrations of affection are not always pleasant or pleasant for our furry ones. Dogs have a language and social behavior different from ours, so they also express their affection differently from us. Most dogs feel restrained when we try to give them a tight hug or subject them to a long grooming session. Therefore, it is normal for them to shake themselves to relieve the tension caused by this type of all-too-human display of affection.
