Sharing your home and your life with a dog is awesome for many reasons, and one of those is that you get to watch all the interesting ways in which they behave.
This was the inspiration for this website. To help dog owners understand why their dogs do what they do.
We aim to get to the root courses of canine behavior traits so owners can better understand and care for their pet dogs.
So, in this post, we will answer the question, “why do dogs shake off after being petted.”
Then we will examine whether or not this is something you need to be concerned about.
Why Does Your Dog Shake Off After You Pet Them?
Dogs shake after being petted to rearrange their coats after your hands have ruffled it. They may also do it to change their state from that of relaxation to a more energetic state.
Dogs will do these sorts of shake-offs throughout the day, often after being asleep (for example, when lying has ruffled up their coats), after being petted by their humans, or after being groomed or bathed.
There is nothing at all to worry about here. It is a perfectly natural and healthy canine behavior.
Your dog shaking off when you pet them is just a regular part and parcel of your dog being a dog.
Note – You might also find this short but helpful video explaining some reasons why dogs shake off interesting.
Just click play on the image, and the video will start playing:
Should You Worry if Your Dog Shakes Off After Being Petted?
You don’t need to worry if your dog stands up and shakes all its fur after you have been petting, stroking, bathing, or grooming them.
You should only be worried about your dog doing these sorts of shake-offs if they do them obsessively or excessively or seem to be doing so out of stress or physical unease.
In that case, the best thing you can do is take your dog to your local vet for a health check-up to ensure there isn’t an underlying mental or physical medical condition causing their behavior.
But what if you are in some financial difficulty and are worried about being able to afford it?
Vet bills aren’t cheap, and times are hard for many dog owners. Please don’t worry. Help is available!
This website has a lot of lists of handy resources and charities that can assist you with paying the bills and getting your dog the care it needs.
(If you don’t live in the US, you can use Google to find similar help in your country, there is a lot of support out there for dog owners who are in difficulty).
NOTE – You might enjoy reading this post about why dogs lick you when you pet them.
Final Notes On Why Dogs Shake Off After Being Petted
Dogs shake themselves off after being petted to rearrange their coats. They may also do it to wake themselves up from a relaxed state into a more energetic one.
There is nothing unhealthy or unusual about this shaking behavior, so please feel free to enjoy petting your dog and giving them lots of love and cuddles!
Tim is a proud, vetted, and experienced dog foster carer for a charity helping dog owners escape domestic abuse.
He has years of experience training and caring for dogs, both his own and other people’s.
He is an expert in canine behavior and is highly skilled in dealing with all dogs but specializes in the difficult ones that other people may struggle with.
When he isn’t fostering dogs, he is making friends with other people’s pups!