Why does my dog’s ears go down when he sees me?

If your dog’s ears go down, when it sees you, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.

So, why does my dog’s ears go down when it sees me? Likely reasons why your dog’s ears go down when it sees you are that it is being submissive, it is preparing for you to pet it and showing that it is happy to see you.

There are a number of possible reasons why your dog’s ears go down when it sees you and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause.

Why does my dog’s ears go down when it sees me?

Below are likely reasons why your dog’s ears go down when it sees you and what would make each of them more likely.

Submissiveness

It is likely that your dog lowers its ears because it is being submissive. This would be more likely if it also does things such as lower itself towards the ground, roll onto its back and have its tongue out.

It is bracing for you to pet it

Dog’s will also lower their ears when you are about to pet them. The reason why your dog lowers its ears could also be that it is showing that it wants you to pet it. This would be more likely if you tend to pet it when you first see it.

Intimidation

The cause could also be that your dog has been getting intimidated. This would be more likely if you tend to have somewhat aggressive looking body language when you see it or if your dog only lowers its ears when you do have aggressive body language such as when you are shouting or standing directly over it and staring.

It is happy to see you

The cause is also likely to be that it is showing that it is happy to see you. This would be more likely if it also shows other signs of excitement such as by wagging its tail, licking you or jumping up at you.

Things to consider

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

If your dog has always lowered its ears when it sees you

If your dog has not always lowered its ears, when it sees you, it would help to consider what else happened when your dog first started doing it. If your dog started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in the way you have been approaching it or a change in how you have been petting it.

What is different when your dog does not lower its ears when it sees you

If your dog does not always lower its ears, when it sees you, it would also help to consider what is different when your dog does not lower its ears. For example, if it only does it in the morning, it could be due to being particularly excited to see you in the morning.

What to do about your dog lowering its ears when it sees you

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Avoid intimidating it

A part of the cause could be that your body language has been intimidating it. If it does seem like it has been getting intimidated, it would help to avoid staring at your dog for too long and to be calm around it.

Let it do it

If your dog seems to be doing it because it is glad to see you, the easiest option would simply be to allow your dog to continue doing it and to pet it if it wants you to pet it.