10 Reasons Why Dogs Nudge You With Their Nose
Let’s hone your dog’s communication skills and find out what your dog’s nose nudging really means!
They’re Saying Hello
Dogs have unique personalities that they express in different ways. This includes how they greet you when you come home.
Some dogs wag their tails and jump on you in excitement, while others paw incessantly and nudge you. By bumping your hand with their nose, your dog is saying, “Hi, I’m happy to see you!” it also gives them a chance to smell you and see where you’ve been.
Herding Behavior
If your dog is a herding breed, they may bump you with their nose to nudge you to a particular spot. It may be that they want to go for a walk or for you to dig their ball out from under the couch.
Herding behaviour isn’t usually a desire for attention; it’s an instinct that is triggered by movement. If you have a Border Collie, German Shepherd, Sheepdog, or even a Corgi, your dog’s instinctive need to keep things in order will cause them to nudge things and move them around.
They Want Attention
Dogs often bump you with their nose to get your attention. Maybe you’ve been working at the computer a little too long for them, or you’re watching tv instead of petting them. They may burrow their head under your arm and nudge you to get you to pay attention.
Showing Affection
Dogs nudge you to show affection just like they do to get your attention. Studies have shown that pleasure centres in your dog’s brain are activated by familiar smells. This includes the smell of their owner.
Pushing their nose against you just might be your dog trying to inhale your scent, which makes them happy!
They Want to Comfort You
Dogs are very in tune with their owner’s feelings and have a great capacity to show empathy. Research has shown that domestic dogs know the difference between happy noise and sad noise and often respond to crying with submissive behaviours.
One study published in the Journal of Learning & Behavior showed that dogs would try and do something to fix it when their owners are sad. If nudging you have previously made you smile or laugh, your dog will do this when you’re sad to cheer you up. They may also use that nose to smother you with wet kisses to make you feel better!
They Want You to Pet Them
It’s not uncommon for dogs to nudge your hand with their nose when they want you to pet them. It’s their not-so-subtle way of saying, “Your hand should be here, on my head.”
If nose nudging works, and you pet your dog when they do it, you reinforce the behaviour and teach your dog how to ask for pets.
They Are Acknowledging You
If you talk to your dog, you may feel like your dog is listening to every word you say. In reality, they are, but they can’t understand everything you say. Dogs can’t answer you verbally, but they can nudge you or rub against you to say they understand.
They don’t really always “understand,” but they are listening, and nose nudging is one way they communicate this.
A Reminder When You’re Distracted
Dogs like routine and thrive when kept in an environment with a predictable structure. While this doesn’t mean you have to adhere to a strict routine, certain things, like feeding your dog or taking them out to the bathroom, should happen around the same time every day.
Unfortunately, life happens, and sometimes things get delayed or forgotten as we get caught up in the activities of our busy lives. Your dog may nudge you to politely remind you of your duties, like when they’ve missed their walk or their food bowl is empty.
Anxiety
For the most part, nudging you with their nose is an innocent behaviour, but sometimes it’s fueled by nervousness or anxiety.
If your dog’s nudging is accompanied by sitting between your legs or hiding behind you, it may be an effort to tell you something is wrong, and you should change your environment by moving out of it. Sometimes they are trying to nudge you out of their space.
Expressing Dominance
While nose nudging can come from submissive or fearful behaviour, it can also be an expression of dominant behaviour. Most dogs push their boundaries to see how far you’ll let them go, and this is no different.
Nudging, jumping, pushing, humping, or even excessive barking can all be signs of your dog trying to exert dominance and move up the chain of command. In this case, the behaviour must be dealt with promptly in order to avoid escalation to nipping or biting.
Should I Be Worried About My Dog’s Nose Nudging?
While your dog nudging you with their nose can be cute, excessive nudging can be distracting and irritating. It’s a sign of clinginess, and despite how much you love your dog, it’s not healthy for dogs to be over-attached to their owners.
If your dog’s nudging is rooted in dominance or anxiety, it’s important to address the behaviour and take action to remedy it.
Even if your dog just wants affection, if nose nudging is becoming bothersome, this is reason enough to address it.
How to Stop Nudging Behavior
If your dog’s nose nudging has become bothersome, it’s time to do something about it. The first step is to figure out why your dog is doing it. Maybe your dog only nudges when you’re working, or maybe it’s only when his food bowl is empty. Look at the circumstances surrounding the behaviour to determine the cause. Then you can get to work fixing it.
Boredom, attention-seeking behaviour, or reminders are all relatively easy to fix. Make sure your dog is getting adequate exercise and playtime, so he’s ready to relax when you need him to. If you forget to fill the food bowl, try setting a reminder for yourself on your watch or phone so you’re less likely to be late with feeding.
Not reinforcing the behaviour is key. Don’t give your dog the attention desired if he is nudging you with his nose. Ignoring it or turning your back on your dog is a clear signal that the behaviour doesn’t get him what he wants.
Final Thoughts
Most of the reasons dogs nudge with their nose are innocent and attention-seeking behaviours, but it can be a sign of anxiety or dominance in rare circumstances. Carefully observing your dog’s body language and the circumstances surrounding the nudging will give you a better idea of why your dog is doing it.
