Why Does My Dog Bury His Head in Me?

There’s no greater feeling than owning a cute, little pet dog. He fills up your entire world, keeps all your worries away, and leaves you smiling all the time. But being a dog parent isn’t that easy. It does come with its problems and responsibilities. And one of the common problems faced by most dog parents is- why does my dog bury his head in me?

A dog uses many gestures and body language to express itself and when your dog buries your head into you, then it’s definitely trying to express its feelings. Let’s find out the meaning of why does your dog bury his head in you?

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Why Does My Dog Bury His Head in Me?

A dog’s language is different from humans. While it may seem really cute when your dog buries its head in you while you cuddle it, there may be some other reasons. You might wonder why does my dog bury head on the couch? Or why do dog bury their face in general?

The common reasons for your dog to bury his head in you are to either show their love for their masters or sometimes when they’re anxious, they bury their head. Your pet dog can do so get some much-needed attention from you or even feel secure in your loved hands. So, there are various meanings when you think why does my dog bury his head in me.

But as a dog parent you need to understand their feelings deeply and then only you will be able to find the right solution. Understanding their way of communication is a huge part of keeping your dog happy and healthy.

No more wondering because now you will get to know what does it mean when a dog buries his head into you.

What Does It Mean When a Dog Buries His Head into You?

As a dog parent, you must always remember your dog has emotions too. And they like to express their emotions in many ways. Your confusion and worry will come to an end when you would know why does my dog bury his head in me.

Your Dog Wants Your Attention

Dogs love some attention from their owners. But we often are so busy with our work, that we forget to take some time out for our pets and spend some quality time with them. So, if you see your dog burying his head then don’t just wonder why do dogs bury their heads into you, rather give them some attention.

You would notice that when you’re sitting or working, you can see your dog coming towards your dog laying his head on you. Basically, it is asking for some attention. It wants to play with you, or go for a walk in the dog park. Your dog might be just simply wanting to cuddle with you and get some warmth from you.

Your Dog is Afraid

Yes, when your dog is feeling scared, they often out of fear bury their head on the couch or the dog rubs his head on you. They can be afraid of a number of things like if they suddenly hear a loud sound, or there is a huge storm going on outside. Also, often they see new guests at the home, they feel quite afraid.

Your dog knows that the arms of his owner are the safest place for him. Hence he chooses to bury his head onto you. So, the next time you see your dog bury his head in your armpit, you know that your dog is feeling scared of something. You must give him the assurance that you’re there for him and he does not need to worry.

You may also want to know why does your dog bury his head in me when sleeping and it can be because they have been afraid of something or they had a stressful day. Hence, they want to feel safe while sleeping. You will also notice that your dog sometimes sleeps in between your legs. Know the reasons behind this dog behavior.

Your Dog is Expressing its Love for You

It’s not just only you who loves to give your doggo a good back rub or a tight hug. They too want to show their love and affection for you. And one of the easy ways for them is to bury their head into you. You will notice this behavior especially when your dog buries his head in you while you pet him.

Since he is getting love from you, he wants to show the same to you. So, he will bury his head in your face or on your armpit.

Your Dog is Anxious That You May Leave him

If you go out often for business trips, or for vacations, and you have to leave your dog at home, then your dog will suffer from separation anxiety. They are always anxious that you might leave them and they have to stay alone.

So, if you don’t know why does your dog bury his head on the couch, or why does my dog hides his face, then it is feeling anxious that you can leave him.

Since dogs have quite strong emotions, they will understand the moment you start packing for your next trip, and they will automatically be sad and anxious. So, you would see this behavior in them more often. You might have seen that your dog is suddenly anxious at night.

Making You Aware of  Danger

There are some puppies who bite when excited and this excitement can be from potential danger or if they smell something suspicious. When your dog sees that you’re not reacting to their barking, your dog will rub his head on you or bury his head into you.

This is their way of alerting you. So whenever they hear an unexpected sound or smell something fishy, or see someone unknown coming towards you, you can expect to see this behavior.

These are some of the most general reasons if you don’t know why does your dog bury his head in you.

Is It a Bad Thing for a Dog to Bury His Head in Me?

It is not a bad thing for a dog to bury his head in you. You don’t need to be super concerned. But you need to know the real reason for your dog’s behavior. even sometimes your pup can climb on your shoulder.

If it is doing out of fear, or going through major separation anxiety, or is unwell, then you must be concerned and find the right way to soothe him.

Also, as mentioned before, your dog can bury his head simply because he wants attention or expresses his love for you. So this is certainly a positive sign. In such a situation you too must respond positively and cuddle him, rub his back, feed him, play with him. Basically, you need to reciprocate your dog’s positive emotions and feelings in a positive way. 

But do keep a check on your dog’s behavior. You need to keep your surroundings safe and comfortable for your dog’s good health. If your dog buries his head into you too often, you must figure out whether there is something serious happening to your dog.

You can take him for a checkup or take him out regularly to dog parks. When your dog stares at you when you sleep, it might be an indication they are suffering from some internal fear. So, give him that solace and comfort and spend considerable time with him to make him loved and wanted.

How to Stop Your Dog from Burying His Head in You?

When you see that your dog continues with this behavior for a long, you can try to reduce it. Let’s look at some easy ways to stop your dog from burying his head in you.

Train him

A well-trained dog will always listen to its owner. So, whenever you see your dog is burying his head into you or on the couch, you can command him with words like “ Stand Up”, “Come here”, “ Treat time”.  These are simple yet impactful phrases.

This will definitely shift the focus of your dog and he will be urged to follow your instructions. So make sure you spend some time training your dog and make him learn these command words.

Get rid of the things he fears

If there is a particular pattern for your dog to behave like this for example if he hates the sound of a loud TV or he buries his head too much in cloudy weather, you know that he is afraid of something.

You can always keep the volume of your TV or music stations low. You can speak on your phone using AirPods and in a soft voice. As for stormy weather is concerned, make sure to keep all your doors and windows closed. If the problem is too much, you can also install soundproof window glass.

Another way to stop this is to play some soothing sounds or give him a feeling of a peaceful environment. Turn off the lights lay with him for a while and give him a good rub. He will feel secure and stop burying his head.  This is also another way to keep your dog calm if you don’t know how to calm your dog.

Ignore him

Sometimes ignoring can solve the issue. It can get annoying if you are trying to do some work, or your friends have come over for a party and your dog constantly buries his head into you.

In a situation like this, simply ignore him. Get busy with your work, talk with your friends. When he will see that burying did not get your attention, he will stop doing this.

Prepare him for your absence

When you have to leave for a vacation or work, make sure you spend good enough time with him before leaving. Also, if a new member will be looking after him when you’re gone, let your dog be acquainted with that person.

Your dog will also get a sense ahead of time and he will be mentally prepared. So, his sadness won’t that prominent and he will reduce this behavior.

Divert his Attention

Which puppy doesn’t love a good treat or to play with his favorite toy? So whenever you observe your dog burying his head into you or you think why does my dog put his head on me, then give him a good treat.

Take out his favorite toy, or give him a new fun thing to play with. Changing the location of the dog can also stop him from burying his head. You can take it out to him in a different room or in your garden. Keep him active so that he doesn’t get a chance to bury his head anywhere.

What to do When Your Dog Buries His Head into You?

When you know the real reason for his behavior, you can handle the situation better.

Eliminate the things that trigger him

Removing the things or sounds that trigger him or cause him to do such action, is your major obstacle. So remove them as soon as possible.

Change his location

The moment he buries his head into you, you get up from the couch or start walking. Let him follow you to another room, or to the kitchen. He won’t get an opportunity to continue burying his head.

Make him feel secured

Take him on your lap and cuddle with him. Just be there with him for a while to give him comfort.

What Not to Do When Your Dog Buries His Head in You?

There are certain things that you might want to avoid.

Don’t encourage

When you start rewarding him, he will be more encouraged to repeat this behavior. So, stop encouraging.

Don’t Pay Attention

Just ignore him and do your own thing. He will stop doing that.

Don’t Give in

You will have new guests at your place or you will have to leave him for a while. So always giving in to this behavior will never prepare him. So get him accustomed to such new circumstances and he will be slowly getting rid of the habit.

Let’s Wrap Up

Your dog will have many emotions and various behaviors. But as a pet parent don’t be scared. Build a solid bond with your puppy and you will always know the right remedy for any difficult situation.

Now you know why does your dog bury his head in you and also how to stop your dog from burying his head into you. Follow these easy and simple tips, and be the perfect dog parent to your loving pup.

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