Why does my dog rub its face on the grass?

If your dog has been rubbing its face on the grass a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of reasons why your dog might have been doing it and what you can do to get it to stop.

So, why does my dog rub its face on the grass? Possible reasons why your dog rubs its face on the grass are that it likes the feeling, it has allergies or a rash, fleas, something stuck on its face, it’s hiding its scent or that it likes the smell.

There are actually a number of reasons why your dog might have been doing it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Why your dog rubs its face on the grass

Below are a number of reasons why your dog might have been doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

It likes the feeling

An obvious reason why your dog might be rubbing its face in the grass is that it might like how it feels. It could just be that, like how we enjoy the feeling of massages, rubbing its fur against the blades of grass feels good on its skin so it does it more. This would be more likely if it has not been doing it excessively and if it has not been behaving unusually in other ways as well.

Allergies or a rash

The cause could be that it has gotten a rash or allergies. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly, if it has been rubbing the same part of its face and if it has been scratching itself a lot. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Fleas

Another possible reason is that it has gotten fleas. This would also be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly, if it has been itching itself a lot as well, it has also been scratching or rubbing other parts of its body as well and if you have found fleas around the house.

To cool down

Another possible cause of your dog rolling in the grass is to cool down. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when it is hot and if it has started doing it more since the weather has become hotter. It would also be more likely if your dog is a breed that has a thick double coat.

Boredom

It could be the case that it has been doing it because it is bored and looking for ways to stimulate itself. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more before getting exercise and if it tends to do stop doing it after getting exercise. If it is healthy, it would help to ensure that your dog is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

Something stuck on its face

The cause could be that it has something stuck on its face. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly, it has been rubbing a certain part of its face a lot and if you can see that something is stuck there.

A head injury

There are some types of head injuries that can cause dogs to start rubbing their heads a lot. Head injury is a much less common cause than those mentioned above. However, it would be more likely if it has also been dizzy, vomiting a lot, having seizures or having a hard time walking (source). If it seems like it could be the case that it has a head injury, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

To hide its scent

The cause of the grass rolling could be to mask its scent so that other animals can’t smell it when it is near and so that they don’t know where it’s been.

It likes the smell

Another possible cause is that it simply likes the smell of the grass. This would be more likely if it actually sniffs the grass a lot and if it tends to do it on days where the grass is particularly smelly.

Things to consider

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

If your dog always rubbed its face on the grass

If your dog did not always rub its face on the grass, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as a rash, allergies, fleas or something being stuck on its face.

What is different when it tends to do it more

It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that it tends to do it more. For example, if it tends to do it more when it has not been able to get exercise, it would be more likely to be due to being bored.

What to do about your dog rubbing its face on the grass

Below are some things you can do in order to get your dog to stop doing it.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

A part of the cause might be that you have encouraged the behavior by giving it things such as toys, treats or extra attention when it does it. Instead, it would help to try to reward it when it does not do it and to try to redirect its focus when it is about to rub its face in the grass.

Get rid of fleas

If fleas are causing your dog to rub its face, it would help to talk to your vet about what you should do to get rid of the flees.

It would also help to eradicate fleas from your home by doing things such as:

• Washing the bedding with hot soapy water
• Vacuuming the carpets and throwing the bad
• Applying an environmental flee control
• Applying a spray, pellet or non-toxic treatment for the yard
• Treating your dog with a monthly preventative

Prevent rashes or allergies

Allergies can be caused by things such as shampoo, other dogs, pollen, a harness rubbing its skin or household chemicals (source).

It would be more likely that allergies or a rash are causing your dog to rub its face if it started doing it after something happened that might have caused it to get allergies or a rash. Examples could be using a different shampoo or a harness that rubs its skin.

It would help to figure out what could be causing it to have a rash and to try to replace it with something else.

Give it exercise

If it is healthy, it would also help to ensure that your dog is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

Take it to a vet

If you cannot figure out why your dog has been doing it, your dog has been doing it excessively or it has been behaving unusually in other ways, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to rule out injury as a cause and to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog.