Why does my dog nudge me with his nose?

If your dog has been nudging you with its nose a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do to get it to stop.

So, why does my dog nudge me with its nose? Possible reasons why your dog nudges you with its nose are that it wants you to give it something, it is trying to remind you about something, it is being affectionate or that it is anxious about something.

Since there are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the main cause, it should become a lot easier to get your dog to stop doing it. 

Reasons why your dog nudges you with its nose

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been nudging you with its nose and what would make each of them more likely. 

It wants you to give it something

It could be the case that it has been doing it because it wants you to give it something. This would be more likely if it does it more when you are eating or when you are holding something else that it might want such as one of its toys or a bone.

It is trying to remind you about something

It might also be the case that it does it because it is trying to remind you about something. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more at around the same time that you would normally feed or walk it. 

It is being affectionate

It could be the case that it is just being affectionate. This would be more likely if you tend to pet it when it rubs its nose into you and if it tends to do it at random times.

It is anxious

The cause could be that something is causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more at a certain time such as just before you normally leave home. In this case, it would be more likely that it has separation anxiety. 

Fear

It could be the case that something has been causing it to be fearful. This would be more likely if it tends to nudge you with its nose at a certain time such as when there are loud noises outside or another animal around that it does not like.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What else happened when it first started doing it

If your dog has not always nudged you with its nose, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as something causing it to start being anxious or because it learned that the behavior gets rewarded.

What is different when your dog nudges you with its nose

It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that your dog tends to nudge you with its nose. If there is, it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it.

For example, if it tends to nudge you with its nose, when you have not been giving it attention for a while, it could be the case that it does it in order to get extra attention.

The body language it shows

It would also help to consider the body language it shows. If it shows signs of being anxious such as crying, pacing or hiding behind you, it would be more likely to be due to something causing it to be anxious or fearful. Whereas, if it shows signs of being excited by doing things such as wagging its tail, it would be more likely that it is doing it due to being playful or trying to remind you of something.

What to do about your dog nudging you with its nose

Below are some options you have when getting your dog to stop nudging you with its nose. 

Avoid encouraging it

It could be the case that your dog has learned that nudging you with its nose results in it getting rewards. Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want and to avoid rewarding it, with things such as extra attention, when it does not. 

Limit reasons why it might be anxious

It would also help to limit possible reasons why it might be anxious by doing things such as ensuring that it can pee, eat and get exercise before leaving it for long time periods. 

Give it a daily routine to get used to

Since it could be the case that it has been doing it to try to remind you about something, it could also help to try to get it used to a certain schedule. If it knows when it can expect to get things such as food or a walk, it could make it less likely to try to remind you to give it food or a walk.