Why do dogs rub their faces after eating?

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PowerMax

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Just curious if anyone knows why dogs some times rub their faces on the carpet / grass after eating? Our girls our spoiled and we feed them cat food with their crunchy dog food and sometimes healthy people food. Sometimes they rub their faces and I am just curious. Thanks!
 

damaged

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There are at least 2 schools of thought on this, one is that it is a form of 'victory' dance, and two, in the wild, when dogs eat they get blood on their snout (they roll around in their kill too), having blood on the snout can be a problem, for one, it masks future kills by its scent, and it also warns prey as they an smell the blood (some say it's the opposite, and that they roll around in the kill and WANT to keep the blood on them, to cloak their own smell from the next kill), the instinct is to 'wash' it off, sometimes habits like this can show up in domesticated dogs.
 

StevenD

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Its most likely allergies. My dog was constantly rubbing his face and licking his paws. We had him allergy tested. It showed he was allergic to some of the ingredients in his food, as well as some environmental stuff (mold, human dander and some grasses). So, we changed his food and he is now on allergy shots as well.

Changing the food helped some, but they said it will take up to 9 months to see the full effects of the allergy shots.
 

damaged

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Its most likely allergies. My dog was constantly rubbing his face and licking his paws. We had him allergy tested. It showed he was allergic to some of the ingredients in his food, as well as some environmental stuff (mold, human dander and some grasses). So, we changed his food and he is now on allergy shots as well.

Changing the food helped some, but they said it will take up to 9 months to see the full effects of the allergy shots.

Good call, did not even occur to me, it makes sense, as it sounds like it could cause itching (from alergic reaction) in the gums/snout area, which they might try and scratch with paws or the ground.
 

PowerMax

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Cat food is a no no for dogs, much different nutritional requirements.
Well I asked my vet and she said it would just spoil them. She did say it was VERY IMPORTANT that that ate the "doggie crunchies" so that they did get the needed nutrition.

All three of those ideas make sense, anyone here a Vet? ;)
 

MikeD-C05

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Just curious if anyone knows why dogs some times rub their faces on the carpet / grass after eating? Our girls our spoiled and we feed them cat food with their crunchy dog food and sometimes healthy people food. Sometimes they rub their faces and I am just curious. Thanks!

Because they can't use napkins. :hatsoff:
 

Van

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Jul 8, 2004
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If theyre wagging they're tails and acting frisky and happy when they do it then well they are happy and content, dogs are simple creatures who find happiness in things such as eating and chasing things and rubbing into a smelly dead piece of road kill.
 

KE4EST

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I had a dog that got into the habit of eating with the cats. I didn't think much of it until her hair started falling out. I took her to the vet and they asked me after some tests if she eats cat food and I said yes. I took her off of cat food and her hair came right back.
 

rump_roast_face

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Dec 6, 2006
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dog food = hair?

Now that LAST reply really triggered my interest!

I started loosing hair as early as 17 years old .... and am 55 now ... so you know, there's been some serious lack of vegetation upstairs ... I'm tempted to try a bowl or two of dog food if I can be certain it'll give me a good ole' Richard Gere look!
 

damaged

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Now that LAST reply really triggered my interest!

I started loosing hair as early as 17 years old .... and am 55 now ... so you know, there's been some serious lack of vegetation upstairs ... I'm tempted to try a bowl or two of dog food if I can be certain it'll give me a good ole' Richard Gere look!

Bald heads rock! (bald by choice, I actually have all my hair, just prefer bald, with occasions of long hair depending on the year).

If I ever do go bald, I will just go with the look, shave whatever is left off, and get a nose ring. :)
 

navychop

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Now that LAST reply really triggered my interest!

I started loosing hair as early as 17 years old .... and am 55 now ... so you know, there's been some serious lack of vegetation upstairs ... I'm tempted to try a bowl or two of dog food if I can be certain it'll give me a good ole' Richard Gere look!

You be sure to let me know if it works! :haha

Maybe I'll run that nose ring idea past my wife.......:rolleyes:
 

vurbano

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My dog bats her treats around on the floor and catches them like she is catching a rodent. Plays with her food I guess.

But here is a really weird one. She has a spot on the couch where she lays most of the time. She refuses to jump up onto the couch unless she first walks underneath the small table in front of the couch? Move that table away from the couch and she will spend the night on the floor. :haha
 

bhelms

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Now that LAST reply really triggered my interest!

I started loosing hair as early as 17 years old .... and am 55 now ... so you know, there's been some serious lack of vegetation upstairs ... I'm tempted to try a bowl or two of dog food if I can be certain it'll give me a good ole' Richard Gere look!
r_r_f - Now that's hillarious - I haven't had such a good laugh in quite a while! Being follically-challenged (and close to your age) myself I can certainly relate, but I'm not sure looking like RG would be worth it...!

I might try damaged's idea with the nose ring - no, scratch that. There's already a figurative one in there and I wouldn't want her to think I caved-in altogether...!
 
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