Headshy?

[Coco'smommy]

Dozer ducks his head away from us when we try to pet him there. He doesn't mind us petting his back or anything else but ducks his head away every time you reach for it. Is that what being headshy is?

If so, what would cause that? He has been that way since we brought him home at 10 weeks. I just think it's odd, I've never been around a dog that did that.

 

[DiverDiva]

Oscar and Mali just do not care to be petted on top of their heads. I didn't get it at first because all of our Labs would stick their nose under your hand to get you to stroke their head, but both my Boxers will move away when I try to pet the top of their heads. My Boxers like to be petted on their necks, under their chins, on the side of their faces by their cheekbones, along their sides, and what I call the 'front of the nub rub'. I never thought of it as being headshy. I just figure that if I'm using petting as a reward for good behavior, I'll pet them however they like to be petted.

 

[Coco'smommy]

Any dogs I have ever been around, even Coco don't mind it but he seems to. Maybe like yours he just doesn't care for it. He loves to have his neck, back & tummy rubbed.

 

[suzyqdogsmom]

Sometimes SuzyQ will do that also, duck her head down when she comes up to you to get petted. But then other times she'll come up to me when I'm sitting on the couch and lay her head in my lap, and likes getting the top of her head petted. I don't know why they do that.

 

[gmacleod]

It is no great surprise. Very few dogs like being petted directly on the head (i.e. without working up to it via the body first). And actually, you shouldn't really do it (and especially never let a stranger do it).

The reason is simple enough. In canine terms, that's an aggressive/threatening/dominating gesture. Now, OK, with time, you can teach the dog that coming from a human, it is not the gesture of dominance that he thinks it is, and that it *would* be if it came from another dog. But you can't expect him to magically know it If you want him to understand that certain gestures from humans (such as hugging, arms over shoulders, petting on the head, direct eye contact, etc) which ARE threats when coming from fellow canines, are not meant as such when they come from people - well, you've got to teach it. If the dog is showing obvious discomfort, it's only reasonable to back off a bit and work back up to making those sorts of gestures in a way that he can clearly see is non-threatening. If you can do that, then eventually he'll learn that, even if you go directly for the head, it's not the threat it would be from his own species.

 

[Cami]

My girl is also head shy. She doesn't care for anyone to touch her head. She doesn't act weird/aggressive but just manuevers her head away from that touch.
If you start petting her elsewhere and work your way to the head she has no issues with it.

 

[Coco'smommy]

Thanks for the input. I did not realize that is considered a threatening gesture to a dog. I will share this with my family so we can be more considerate to Dozer about that. That's interesting and good information to know not only for your own dogs but when your interacting with someone elses dog.

 

[Bridgetgirl]

Desensitization

Boxers are one of several breeds that do not like "confined" holding (like if you have to hold them for a vet) and I'm of the opinion that it helps to pet the head, toes, nose, an any other sensitive areas when they are "sacked" out or "out cold" asleep. That way, they are too exhausted to really care but learn that their people are going to touch them just about anywhere. We tried this trick with my parents' pug, too, and it helped so much when I later had to trim her nails. I agree, though, that you shouldn't approach strange dogs with eye contact or head petting.

 

[trdavis]

Crystal is the same way. She ducks her head when I try to pet it. I'm glad you asked this question because I thought the same thing.

 

[LILYLARUE]

Somedays Lily loves her head rubbed, along with her eyelids when she has them closed. Somedays she ducks away from a head rub. Guess it's all in the mood.

She still won't lay completely on her back for a belly rub or be held in a "hold". She will fight to get out of it. Even if she's laying on the bed, I can't lay on top of her.

What freaks we have as pets huh?