Why Do Dogs Cover Their Eyes with Their Paws?
Dogs may cover their eyes for many different reasons. It might be a sign of submission, fear, or insecurity as because it can be perceived as body language that signals that they are uncomfortable or unsure in a given situation. Covering their eyes can also indicate that they want to avoid eye contact and want to avoid confrontation.
In many cases, however, cases, dogs may just wish to cover their eyes to block out bright lights, or it can simply be a sign of sleepiness.
Scratching, Wiping, or Rubbing
Dogs don’t have hands, so their paws are the only tools they have to scratch, wipe, and groom themselves. Dogs who wipe their faces with their paws after they eat or drink are grooming themselves. It’s essentially like wiping your mouth with a napkin after you eat; they’re just making sure they’ve gotten all the food off their face.
When a dog swipes a paw across their eyes, they could be scratching an itch or wiping away debris from their eyes. If your dog is doing this frequently enough to cause redness or irritation to the eyes, there may be something more serious going on, like a piece of debris in the eye, an allergy, or even an infection.
Emotional Reaction
Dogs sometimes cover their eyes as a way of exhibiting an emotional response to an external event. Like when they have been scolded for bad behaviour, they might cover their eyes out of shame or embarrassment.
If you praise your dog for covering their eyes, they learn to do it as a way to gain affection. It’s also why dogs sometimes paw at their owner’s face for attention.
Fear or Anxiety
When a dog is scared, it may hide its face just like humans do. It’s best to pay attention to the triggers of their fear. They may only do this during a thunderstorm, but if a dog is frequently fearful, it’s an indication that they are suffering from anxiety.
Anxiety should not be left unchecked in dogs as it can lead to other issues, including aggressive or reactive behaviour. If your dog has symptoms of chronic anxiety, speak to your vet, as there are treatment options available.
Submissive Behavior
Dogs have a unique social structure based on where they stand in the pack hierarchy. Assuming that your dog is not the alpha member of your family or “pack” (which they shouldn’t be), your dog could be indicating submission to your authority by covering their eyes.
In the canine world, dominance is indicated by making eye contact and holding it in a stare. Avoiding eye contact altogether is a sign that your dog is submissive behaviour.
Should You Discourage Your Dog from Covering Their Eyes?
It’s not a bad thing for dogs to cover their eyes with their paws, and there’s no reason to discourage the behaviour. Having said that, if the behaviour is causing irritation to your dog’s eyes and face, or it has become a compulsive behaviour, you should see your vet to fix the problem.
Your dog is hiding their face as a form of communication with you, which is a good thing! If you pay close attention to when your dog hides their eyes, you can often discern what they are trying to tell you. If your dog never hides their eyes but suddenly starts, this may say that something is wrong. Or your dog may have learned that you find the behaviour cute, so they do it to gain your attention.
Paw Licking in Conjunction with Eye Covering
If your dog is licking their paws while covering their face, it may be an indication of a more serious problem. This behaviour usually indicates that there is something wrong with your dog’s paws; it’s often an irritation caused by an allergy or a foreign object stuck in their paw pads.
The best way to prevent this is to make sure you clean your dog’s paws off when you come in from outside. Burning can be an issue in the summer if your dog is in contact with hot asphalt. In the wintertime, road salt can cause inflammation and irritation when it gets stuck in your dog’s feet.
If your dog’s paws are already irritated, you can soak them in warm water with Epsom salt to relieve the swelling. If there is an obvious foreign body or a lesion, consult your vet for further treatment advice.
Final Thoughts
There are many reasons why a dog might cover their eyes. No matter why your dog is trying to communicate with you. It’s important to observe when and how often your dog exhibits this behaviour to learn what they’re trying to say. Knowing the most common messages dogs send with this behaviour will help you narrow it down.
