Well, let’s say, dogs have their own body language that most of us humans don’t exactly understand all the time. However, with careful observation, open-mindedness and a tight relationship with your dog, can make things a lot easier to understand.
The longer we spend our times with our dogs helps us understand their ways and many other things such as their interests, dislikes, and perhaps what turns on their curiosity switch. And during that long period of time, you spend with them, some of you might even notice how they start rubbing their face on you and can get you to asking, why?
Don’t worry, further into this article, we will be discussing the answer to “Why does my dog rub his face on me?”Finding out the Answer in Your Dog’s Perspective
Many dog owners experience this quite a lot and some of them think that this could be because of what they did. But what could really be the reason? Is it a bad thing or a good thing? Well, the answer could be both. Mainly, when dogs do this to their human friends, it could actually mean many different things and sometimes a thorough observation might even help you find the right answer. Their most common meanings are:
- “Hello!”
Yes! Dogs say Hi to in their own ways. This can happen in their first time meeting someone and it usually comes after the sniffing test or stage.
They may sniff you a couple of times, and if ever they like your scent and that you have passed, they rub their face on you as a sign that you may now reciprocate your affection.
- “You are now a mark!”
Most dogs do this just because they want to place their mark on you. They have scent glands that they will be spreading all over you just so that they can set you as their territory.
By then, this will be sending a message to all other animals out there that you are his or hers and their master only. Isn’t that sweet?
- “Please give me attention!”
Now, you might be doing something else like scrolling through your phone or reading a book or even doing your daily work and then this happens. Dogs truly love it when you play with them, give them a treat, or well, give them attention!
Be sure to give them as often as possible.
- “Where’s the food?”
It could be that your dog is asking something from you and this is one of their ways to do so. However, it doesn’t just mean that they only want food at this point. It could be: where’s my hugs? Where’s my toy? Can we go for a walk?
You can try giving your dog all four just to figure out which one he is truly is asking for.
- “I need help!”
It could be that their favorite toy is stuck somewhere and they just need you to help them get it out or bring it back to them. Your dog may have been trying for the past few minutes or hours getting it back to them.
Now they are at that point that they just REALLY need your help!
- “I’m itchy!”
Uh oh. This could be a sign that your dog is experiencing skin problems such as dry skins or allergic reactions. If you notice that your dog is rubbing their face and head on almost anything, not just you, then it could also be that your dog is having these problems.
Before jumping to conclusions, try to check your dog’s skin and see if it looks different than usual.
- “My face is dirty so I’m just going to rub”
Yep. That’s right. Maybe your dog has been doing things and got their face all dirty. Your dog may have been trying to get rid of the dirt with his paws. But this is very difficult for them since they can’t control their paws like we can.
Your dog could be experiencing that difficulty and decided to rub on you or anything they can possibly find. You can try to help them right when you see their face is dirty with a bath or a wet wipe.
Well, those are the 7 possible meanings and reasons why. Some of them are quite easy to tell, but the other meanings can be hard to understand at first. All it takes is to be open to your dog and never ignore their needs and wants. Who knows, you could even develop a better, closer, and a tighter relationship with them.
What You Can Do
Sometimes when we see there is something wrong with our dogs, we usually see them lie down more often, eat a lot less, and even sometimes they rub their faces on us. Their main causes for doing so are usually:[one_half_first]The Lack of Attention
Sudden Change of Lifestyle
They’re not feeling well[/one_half_first][one_half_last]The Absence of Someone or Something Precious
They Need You[/one_half_last]It is very important to observe whether your dog is sad or not. Sure, they can rub their faces on you as much as they want, but when it is accompanied by other depressing or sad actions, then there has got to be something wrong. However, all of this can be fixed with only a few things. Though it also depends on the situation you are having with your dog. These things are:
- Dividing your time
Make sure to always give time for your dog even if you have other things to do. You’ve got all the time in the world.
- Take in Mind the things your dog does
They are probably sleeping more than they did before or even ignoring the toys they are so into before. This can definitely be a sign of depression. Always try to observe the things your dog does. He or she could be sick.
- Exercising with them
Nothing’s more fun to them than exercising with their owner. Dogs love activities and lots of fun.
- Rewarding them
Sometimes they do good things and who doesn’t want to be rewarded their favorite treat after that much work?
- Check Ups in the Vet
Just in case if you feel like what you are doing is not working, might as well check them up in the vet.
Conclusion
For me, I definitely love it when my dog tries to snuggle with me and then he tries to rub his face on me afterward. I think it is very sweet and I enjoy it too. I would hug him in the end and give him the rubs he deserves. Sometimes you know, they just do it just because they love you.
So what can you say about this article? Does your dog do this to you often? Be sure to return the favor and give em a treat! Thank you so much for taking your time reading this article. Hope this helps answer your question!