It’s not hard to imagine why a loyal dog might stare devotedly at his master. It’s the stuff of Old Yeller, White Fang and Lassie –– starers, all. But some dogs take staring to extremes, following their owners around with baleful eyes as if expecting links of sausage to fly from their human’s fingertips.
Let’s face it: Dogs love their owners, but when they stare expectantly, it’s not usually because they’re trapped in a reverie of devotion. Rather, it’s because they’re thinking they might get something. And usually, that “something” involves a tasty snack.
But dogs can — and do — stare at their owners for plenty of non-food issues, too. Indeed, anything a dog might want that a human can provide could be the source of the staring behavior, from a fun game of fetch to a ride in the car or a long run.
Then there’s the possibility that a dog is simply seeking attention in any form, or perhaps she’s merely waiting for praise or direction. Some dogs may just be trying to read an emotion in our human facial expressions.
In any case, staring is typically considered to be a good thing. In fact, most trainers encourage dogs to stare at their owners while awaiting their cues. And if you’ve never done it, gazing deeply into a dog’s eyes can be a highly rewarding pastime.
Before you try it, be aware that staring directly into a dog’s eyes can be considered a direct challenge. That’s why mutual staring is an activity that’s only to be encouraged within the context of a healthy dog-human relationship unsullied by any taint of aggression or behavioral abnormalities.
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If your dog has been standing with its head down, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my dog stand with its head down? Likely reasons why your dog stands with its head down are that it is being submissive, it has an injury or that it is smelling something on the floor.
There are a number of possible reasons why your dog stands with its head down, but the most likely reason will depend on the context.
Below are likely reasons why your dog stands with its head down and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.
Your dog is being submissive
Dogs will lower their heads when they are being submissive and it is likely to be a part of the reason why your dog has been lowering its head. This would be more likely if your dog does it more when you are annoyed with it or when you are standing directly in front of it or if it tends to do it when it is around other dogs that are larger than it.
Your dog has an injury
Another possible cause is that your dog has gotten an injury. This would be more likely if your dog has started doing it suddenly, it has been dragging its head around and if it has been moving its head around unusually. In this case, the best option would be to take your dog to a vet.
Old age
A part of the cause could also be that your dog has become weaker as it has gotten older. This would be more likely if your dog is an old dog and if it has gradually started lowering its head more as it has gotten older.
Your dog is smelling something
Another possible reason is that your dog is smelling something. This would be more likely if your dog does not always stand with its head down and if it sniffs things when it does it.
Anxiety
It could also be the case that something has been causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if it lowers its head when it is more likely to be anxious such as when there are unusual noises coming from outside like thunder.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.
If your dog has always stood with its head down
If your dog did not always stand with its head down, it would help to consider what else happened when your dog first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be because something has been causing it to feel anxious, something has been intimidating it or because it has gotten an injury.
What is different when your dog does not stand with its head down
It would also help to consider the timing of when your dog stands with its head down since the timing could have something to do with it. For example, if your dog tends to do it more when you are interacting with it, the cause would be more likely to be that it is being submissive.
What to do about your dog standing with its head down
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Get help
If your dog seems to have been doing it due to an injury or it has been doing it excessively, the safest option would be to take it to the vet for a checkup. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to deal with medical causes.
Avoid intimidating it
If it seems like your dog has been getting intimidated by yourself, it would help to try to interact with it more calmly and to avoid aggressive movements around it. If it seems to be due to something in its environment, it would help to try to limit things that might be intimidating it or to let it stay in a different part of the house.
Let it do it
If your dog seems to be doing it due to smelling things, it would be the easiest option to let your dog continue doing it. Also, it would help to avoid trying to force your dog to keep its head up regardless of the cause since it will likely make your dog feel threatened or it might hurt your dog.
Why does my dog lower its head when I pet it?
If your dog lowers its head when you pet it, the cause is likely to be that your dog is being submissive or that your dog is trying to encourage your dog to pet it in a different manner.
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If you notice your dog pressing its head against walls, pacing or standing facing a corner for extended periods of time, contact the veterinarian immediately. If your pet has a neurological disease, it will need immediate treatment in the hope of avoiding permanent damage. Be prepared to give a detailed medical history of your pet, including any medications, surgical procedures, or recent visits at a kennel or pet hotel. Be sure to let the veterinarian know if you suspect poisoning. This may include mentioning any known poisonous plants in a neighbor’s yard, if your dog has vomited recently, or if the dog came to you with plant material on lips or stuck to teeth), as lifesaving action must be taken immediately.
A veterinarian will make a physical examination of your dog to distinguish signs of poisoning from illness. Poisoned dogs will often exhibit greatly increased or reduced heart rate, dilation/constriction of the eyes, muscle tremors or lethargy, and may vomit. This usually, but not always, is differentiated from sickness by the absence of a fever.
If the dog appears to be sick, and not poisoned, there are a number of tests that the veterinarian may order. A CBC (complete blood count) is often the first line of investigation, and will reveal abnormalities in the amounts of different blood cells. Increased white blood cell count, for example, often means the dog is fighting an infection. Other signs, like fever, sneezing, and fluid in the lungs can be signs of illnesses like Canine Distemper Virus or meningitis. Liver damage can cause a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy, resulting in neurological signs like head pressing from the toxins released by the liver.
If no obvious disease or poisoning presents itself, the veterinarian may refer your dog to an animal hospital for medical imaging, such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), X-ray or CT (Computed Tomography) scan. These are larger machines that may require your dog to be sedated to keep them still during the imaging. Results from these tests provide veterinarians with high-resolution images that may show evidence of a brain tumor or mass pressing on the nervous system.
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If you notice your dog pressing its head against walls, pacing or standing facing a corner for extended periods of time, contact the veterinarian immediately. If your pet has a neurological disease, it will need immediate treatment in the hope of avoiding permanent damage. Be prepared to give a detailed medical history of your pet, including any medications, surgical procedures, or recent visits at a kennel or pet hotel. Be sure to let the veterinarian know if you suspect poisoning. This may include mentioning any known poisonous plants in a neighbor’s yard, if your dog has vomited recently, or if the dog came to you with plant material on lips or stuck to teeth), as lifesaving action must be taken immediately.
A veterinarian will make a physical examination of your dog to distinguish signs of poisoning from illness. Poisoned dogs will often exhibit greatly increased or reduced heart rate, dilation/constriction of the eyes, muscle tremors or lethargy, and may vomit. This usually, but not always, is differentiated from sickness by the absence of a fever.
If the dog appears to be sick, and not poisoned, there are a number of tests that the veterinarian may order. A CBC (complete blood count) is often the first line of investigation, and will reveal abnormalities in the amounts of different blood cells. Increased white blood cell count, for example, often means the dog is fighting an infection. Other signs, like fever, sneezing, and fluid in the lungs can be signs of illnesses like Canine Distemper Virus or meningitis. Liver damage can cause a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy, resulting in neurological signs like head pressing from the toxins released by the liver.
If no obvious disease or poisoning presents itself, the veterinarian may refer your dog to an animal hospital for medical imaging, such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), X-ray or CT (Computed Tomography) scan. These are larger machines that may require your dog to be sedated to keep them still during the imaging. Results from these tests provide veterinarians with high-resolution images that may show evidence of a brain tumor or mass pressing on the nervous system.
Top
Page 3
If you notice your dog pressing its head against walls, pacing or standing facing a corner for extended periods of time, contact the veterinarian immediately. If your pet has a neurological disease, it will need immediate treatment in the hope of avoiding permanent damage. Be prepared to give a detailed medical history of your pet, including any medications, surgical procedures, or recent visits at a kennel or pet hotel. Be sure to let the veterinarian know if you suspect poisoning. This may include mentioning any known poisonous plants in a neighbor’s yard, if your dog has vomited recently, or if the dog came to you with plant material on lips or stuck to teeth), as lifesaving action must be taken immediately.
A veterinarian will make a physical examination of your dog to distinguish signs of poisoning from illness. Poisoned dogs will often exhibit greatly increased or reduced heart rate, dilation/constriction of the eyes, muscle tremors or lethargy, and may vomit. This usually, but not always, is differentiated from sickness by the absence of a fever.
If the dog appears to be sick, and not poisoned, there are a number of tests that the veterinarian may order. A CBC (complete blood count) is often the first line of investigation, and will reveal abnormalities in the amounts of different blood cells. Increased white blood cell count, for example, often means the dog is fighting an infection. Other signs, like fever, sneezing, and fluid in the lungs can be signs of illnesses like Canine Distemper Virus or meningitis. Liver damage can cause a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy, resulting in neurological signs like head pressing from the toxins released by the liver.
If no obvious disease or poisoning presents itself, the veterinarian may refer your dog to an animal hospital for medical imaging, such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), X-ray or CT (Computed Tomography) scan. These are larger machines that may require your dog to be sedated to keep them still during the imaging. Results from these tests provide veterinarians with high-resolution images that may show evidence of a brain tumor or mass pressing on the nervous system.
Top
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If you notice your dog pressing its head against walls, pacing or standing facing a corner for extended periods of time, contact the veterinarian immediately. If your pet has a neurological disease, it will need immediate treatment in the hope of avoiding permanent damage. Be prepared to give a detailed medical history of your pet, including any medications, surgical procedures, or recent visits at a kennel or pet hotel. Be sure to let the veterinarian know if you suspect poisoning. This may include mentioning any known poisonous plants in a neighbor’s yard, if your dog has vomited recently, or if the dog came to you with plant material on lips or stuck to teeth), as lifesaving action must be taken immediately.
A veterinarian will make a physical examination of your dog to distinguish signs of poisoning from illness. Poisoned dogs will often exhibit greatly increased or reduced heart rate, dilation/constriction of the eyes, muscle tremors or lethargy, and may vomit. This usually, but not always, is differentiated from sickness by the absence of a fever.
If the dog appears to be sick, and not poisoned, there are a number of tests that the veterinarian may order. A CBC (complete blood count) is often the first line of investigation, and will reveal abnormalities in the amounts of different blood cells. Increased white blood cell count, for example, often means the dog is fighting an infection. Other signs, like fever, sneezing, and fluid in the lungs can be signs of illnesses like Canine Distemper Virus or meningitis. Liver damage can cause a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy, resulting in neurological signs like head pressing from the toxins released by the liver.
If no obvious disease or poisoning presents itself, the veterinarian may refer your dog to an animal hospital for medical imaging, such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), X-ray or CT (Computed Tomography) scan. These are larger machines that may require your dog to be sedated to keep them still during the imaging. Results from these tests provide veterinarians with high-resolution images that may show evidence of a brain tumor or mass pressing on the nervous system.
Top
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If you notice your dog pressing its head against walls, pacing or standing facing a corner for extended periods of time, contact the veterinarian immediately. If your pet has a neurological disease, it will need immediate treatment in the hope of avoiding permanent damage. Be prepared to give a detailed medical history of your pet, including any medications, surgical procedures, or recent visits at a kennel or pet hotel. Be sure to let the veterinarian know if you suspect poisoning. This may include mentioning any known poisonous plants in a neighbor’s yard, if your dog has vomited recently, or if the dog came to you with plant material on lips or stuck to teeth), as lifesaving action must be taken immediately.
A veterinarian will make a physical examination of your dog to distinguish signs of poisoning from illness. Poisoned dogs will often exhibit greatly increased or reduced heart rate, dilation/constriction of the eyes, muscle tremors or lethargy, and may vomit. This usually, but not always, is differentiated from sickness by the absence of a fever.
If the dog appears to be sick, and not poisoned, there are a number of tests that the veterinarian may order. A CBC (complete blood count) is often the first line of investigation, and will reveal abnormalities in the amounts of different blood cells. Increased white blood cell count, for example, often means the dog is fighting an infection. Other signs, like fever, sneezing, and fluid in the lungs can be signs of illnesses like Canine Distemper Virus or meningitis. Liver damage can cause a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy, resulting in neurological signs like head pressing from the toxins released by the liver.
If no obvious disease or poisoning presents itself, the veterinarian may refer your dog to an animal hospital for medical imaging, such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), X-ray or CT (Computed Tomography) scan. These are larger machines that may require your dog to be sedated to keep them still during the imaging. Results from these tests provide veterinarians with high-resolution images that may show evidence of a brain tumor or mass pressing on the nervous system.
Top