Why Does My Dog Bury His Head in Me?

6 Reasons Why Your Dogs Buries His Head

The most common reasons why dogs cover their heads with blankets, pillows or other materials is because they want to create a dark and warm space in order to sleep better. When covered, the blood flow in their head increases and thus helps them fall asleep faster.

This compulsive behavior has often been called “coversation” or “blanket-hogging” and it is considered normal (and even cute) in most cases. However there are some exceptions when this behavior isn’t normal…

Possible Reasons Why Dogs Bury Their Heads:

1. Anxiety

Many experts believe that anxiety is one of the main reasons why dogs bury their heads under anything they can find (.g., they do it when they’re anxious about a storm, when left alone, when in an uncomfortable or scary environment, when feeling threatened or when stressed).

This compulsive action is probably the dog’s attempt at self-soothing. In which case it can be compared with us humans covering ourselves with a blanket in order to feel more relaxed and safe.

If your dog does this only during storms, chances are that it’s just a coincidence and not something to worry about. However if he does it most of the time then you should consult your veterinarian for further advice.

2. Illness/Injury

If your furry friend has been diagnosed with a concussion or some kind of fever (.g., if he has an infection), there is a chance that he’s trying to cool off his head by covering it with blankets, pillows etc.

In such case you should encourage him to stop the behavior but if he doesn’t listen then you will probably need some help from a professional in order to resolve this issue .

3. Exploring the Environment

Perhaps your dog is not trying to create a dark and warm space when he covers his head with blankets; he might simply be exploring the environment in search of something interesting and fun (just like we do). However in such cases most dogs like to explore in their mouths or paws…so if they cover their heads it might be due to some kind of illness…in which case you should speak with your veterinarian

If your furry friend suddenly started to cover his head after you just inserted a new pillow on the couch, chances are that he’s just trying to explore it.

4. Attention Seeking

If your dog uses this type of behavior as an attention seeking trick then it is probably because he knows that there is a high chance of getting what he wants .

For example, if you leave him alone in the living room for some time and come back later (with no intention of interacting with him) then he might decide to bury his head under some blankets for hours; if you do it more than once then there is a high probability that your furry friend will do it every single time you’re not around even without any reason . This kind of behavior can be very annoying but at the same time it’s not dangerous, frustrating but also sad.

Unfortunately, there is almost no way to avoid this type of attention seeking behavior. This is because your furry friend probably gets what he wants even if you ignore him…so why should he stop? The only thing I can suggest here is that you don’t encourage this kind of behavior by patting, stroking or giving any other form of attention when he does the “head-burying trick”. For example, if your dog suddenly buries his head under a pillow and stays in that position for 30 minutes then don’t go over to pet him .

Maybe you could just walk away from him without saying anything or come back 30 minutes later to the pillow away. And next time, if he tries the same trick don’t do it again. If you play around with the “time-frame” (e.g., your dog buries his head after 1 minute and you walk away after 2 minutes) then there is a high chance that you will accidentally reward this kind of behavior…which will encourage him to do it even more .

5.  Communication

Communicating with Other Canines Petting, stroking or any other form of attention usually doesn’t work on dogs who communicate by barking; which means that if your furry friend is trying to keep himself busy under the blanket because he feels lonely then petting or stroking him won’t help at all .

If your canine companion has company (the company of another dog) then such behavior is even more likely. This is because dogs tend to use similar behaviors when they feel safe and comfortable; which means that your pup might think that he’s not alone if the other dog buries his head under a blanket…it kinda gives him company!

In order to prevent (or at least reduce) this kind of behavior you should give your furry friend enough attention when he’s in the living room with his company . For example, playing with both dogs together or just spending some time on the couch will keep them busy so they won’t have time for head-burying tricks.

6. Stress

If you are not sure whether your canine companion uses this type of behavior due to stress then there are several signs that will help you distinguish between stress and attention seeking.

The first sign that might indicate that your dog tries to bury his head under a blanket due to stress is the way he’s trying to escape . For example, if he gets really nervous and excited and then quickly hides his head under a blanket then it might be due to stress because in such cases most dogs just try to run away (probably by jumping off the couch).

However, this is not always the case; sometimes your furry friend might simply want some attention…in which case he will probably sit or lay down next to you . Therefore, if you can’t decide whether your dog uses such behavior as a way of hiding from something scary (e.g., thunder) or as an attention-seeking behavior then just wait and see for a few minutes. If it’s the latter then he will probably come up to you and lick your hands…which means that he is craving some attention from you .

However, even this might not be very reliable because if your dog tries to run away (instead of head-burying) he might still do such tricks as an attention-seeking behavior (because dogs usually crave for any form of attention).

I know that it can be incredibly frustrating when your sweet canine companion simply won’t stop burying his head under a blanket even if there is no particular reason for him to do that; however, bear in mind that dogs use such behaviors for many different reasons and we can hardly ever(!)