A dog burying her head into a human can mean many things. Some positive reasons are that your dog knows she has an intimate relationship with you, your pup feels secure with you, it reminds her of cuddling with her mom, she likes your scent, she’s seeking physical warmth, comforting you, mimicking your sleeping positions, showing affection, trying to alert you to something, she’s displaying submission, it’s feeding time or perhaps your fur baby just wants some attention.
The less positive issues that may cause head burying include fear, anxiety, feeling insecure, avoiding a stranger, seeking protection, marking her territory, loneliness or separation anxiety.
Let’s take a look at individual head-burying causes.
Positive Reasons
Intimate Relationship
This is relatively positive unless you don’t want your canine to bury his head into you (and why wouldn’t you?). Many pet guardians enjoy having a close relationship with their dogs that features plenty of cuddling. Enjoy the love and physical affection. However, if you want to stop the behaviour, training tips will be discussed later in this article.
Feels Secure With You
Your pooch adores you and is happy to be as close to you as possible—even if it means encroaching into your personal space and your physical person. Consider it a compliment.
Reminds Her of Cuddling With Her Mom
Fido’s first weeks were spent attached to his mom, so he duplicates that close physical and emotional relationship with you. He’s reverting a little bit to puppyhood.
Likes Your Scent
Dogs are olfactory beings. Humans might detect a pleasant perfume, the aroma of food, the smell of flowers and so on, but Rover’s olfactory sense is much more advanced than ours. Smells provide a great deal of information for them, and they love to explore with their noses. Your dog is in love with you and wants to bask in your scent.
Physical Warmth
If you have a dog with a flat or short coat of fur, you may be a source of warmth for her. You could buy a cute and fashionable sweater for the chilly months, throw a blanket on your fur baby and snuggle (or any combination of the aforementioned).
Comforting You
Dogs are in tune with our emotions, and they are highly empathetic. If your furry friend feels that you are upset, she’ll smush her head right into your body to comfort you.
Mimicking Sleep Positions
If your pup sleeps in bed with you, it might occur to him that cosying up to you outside of the bed is also super comfy. It’s perfectly logical that a couch or the floor are good places to recreate slumber positions.
Affection
We are very fortunate that our beloved dogs embody and exude affection and adoration. It’s absolutely adorable that they love us so much they just want to nuzzle right into us. Who doesn’t want affection and love?
Alerting Us
If your pup doesn’t usually stick his head into you, he might be trying to communicate that something is happening. Perhaps he doesn’t feel well, or he hears a strange sound.
Feeding Time
Our dogs are not shy about reminding us when their bellies are empty. If the head burying happens around meal times, you know what she’s telling you, and it’s an easy fix.
Submission
Dogs are pack animals, so dominance and submission are ongoing concepts and considerations in their worlds. Rubbing her head into you could be a way to say, “You’re my alpha.”
Attention
Our dogs’ lives revolve around us. We’re their family, friends and pack leaders. Their schedules aren’t as gruelling as ours, so when we are distracted by work, chores and other things, sometimes a pooch has to remind her person to shower her with attention.
Negative Reasons
Fear & Anxiety
Your dog might be seeking comfort and reassurance from you if she’s feeling frightened or anxious.
If your pooch is nervous, you can train him and build his confidence. Socializing with people and other dogs is important during puppyhood. Adopted adult dogs can be desensitized from their fears by gradually exposing them to whatever they are afraid of. Rewarding desired behaviour with treats is an effective conditioning method, along with enthusiastic praise and petting.
Positive experiences help make pups feel more confident. Food puzzles and being involved with their environment and human family activities increase their confidence.
Feeling Insecure
Even a confident dog may feel insecure in certain situations. For example, hearing a very loud and maybe ongoing noise on a walk. Reassuring your pup in a temporary situation isn’t too difficult. As mentioned above, training and exposure to people and other animals help canines feel secure.
Marking Territory
Aggressive dogs may try to establish themselves as the alpha (head of the pack) by burying their heads in people. Canines can mark with their scent, which is certainly preferable to urine. On-leash training is helpful when teaching a dog to calm down, sit, lower their pack rank, et cetera.
You’ll have more control using a training collar and can ask your pup to sit and then give her a reward (treat, praise and pet). “Choke” collars enable pet guardians to gently pull the collar to give a correction while simultaneously saying “no” to help Spot understand he can’t do whatever behaviour is to be eliminated.
Loneliness
If your dog buries her head in you mostly when you return from being away for a while, she’s telling you she has been very lonely and missed you terribly. You’re hungry and want to get out of your work clothes but spend a moment on your big reunion. Loneliness can also be addressed by leaving your dog a food-stuffed toy, a long-lasting bone or chew, a snuffle mat, leaving the telly on and things like those.
Separation Anxiety
Dogs who become nervous when their owners leave them might bury their head in their human when he tries to go out of the house to say, “Please don’t leave!” Some people condition their dogs by leaving the house for a brief period of time, rewarding them, then extending the length of time of separation and repeating the exercise. If the dog had lived with someone prior to moving in with you, she might have developed an issue with being alone in her old home.
Some people swear by essential oils and CBD to calm their dogs when they leave them alone. Warren London Essential Oil Calming Spray and Honest Paws CBD Oil are both effective and recommended. Hiring a trainer is also an option if you’re unable to resolve the situation.
This YouTube video has 15 hours of soothing music to play for your dog when you’re not home.
Head Pressing versus Head Burying
It’s important to differentiate between head pressing versus head burying. Your dog may have a neurological problem if he presses his head against a wall or piece of furniture for a while. A trip to the veterinarian is in order if you witness that activity.
Conclusion
Whether you like it or don’t enjoy it when your dog buries her head in your body, it’s essential to make sure that she’s alright. Head burying is often not a problem, but when it is, you can comfort your dog and train her so she’ll feel secure.
Hiring a trainer is also an option if you’re unable to resolve the situation.
