Why Does My Dog Cover Its Face?
It’s pretty adorable when our dogs reach their paws up and cover their face – our first instinct is to grab the camera and snap a pic of our bashful pooch. But are our dogs really being shy, or what’s driving them to cover their face with their paws? Read on to learn more about this curious behavior in our dogs.
Communication
While we all wish our dogs could talk to us, unfortunately they have to find other ways of communicating with us. Their primary form of communication, then, is body language. We can try to guess at what our dogs are communicating to us through their body language, but it’s usually one of the following things:
To Express Fear or Anxiety
If your dog is stressed or scared, they may hide their face from you. Your dog knows that they can’t completely hide from you by placing their paws in front of their face, but it is a way for them to communicate that they’re upset. There may be something in their environment causing them distress. For example, if there is a stranger present, your dog may attempt to express their discomfort or distress. They also may not be feeling well. Check your dog’s skin elasticity to ensure that they’re hydrated and healthy. Your dog may also put their hands in front of their face when you’re making to leave them home alone. Try leaving them with their favorite toys or blankets to make sure they feel safe in your absence. If your dog seems to continually suffer from anxiety, see your vet to determine next steps.
To Please Us
Dogs don’t really know what’s cute and what’s not, but they do know which of their behaviors please us, and they increase the frequency of those behaviors when they get positive feedback from us. If you react positively when your dog places their paws over their face, cooing or petting them, they’ll be eager to receive that feedback again. That means they’ll put their paws on their face more often. Fine by us; it’s cuteness overload!
To Show Submission
Similar to bowing their heads down, putting their paws over their eyes is another way that our dogs can show submission. If your dog views you as their pack leader, hiding their face communicates their deference to you. Your dog is just trying to let you know that they trust and respect you! You’ll know that your dog is communicating this to you if their gesture is followed by them rolling over to expose their belly to you.
Our dogs could be trying to communicate any number of things to us by placing their paws over their face. Use this guide to better understand your dog’s body language the next time they put their paws over their eyes.