Why Do Dogs Hate It When You Blow On Them?: Generally, dogs hate this behavior as it’s very unusual to them. Things they can’t understand make them uncomfortable so they tend to get annoyed or fussy when unpredictable things happen. They like to know what situation they are in and if you spontaneously blow on them it will definitely bring out a reaction.
There are many possible reasons dogs hate it when you blow on them.
Many dog owners like to play with their dogs and sometimes to catch a reaction out of them they blow on them and I suppose you are one of them?
Now when you blow on them for your amusement things might not go so well for you or the other party.
Dogs are creatures who are very sensitive and have heightened senses.
They like to keep their surroundings clean and refrain from stuff that makes them edgy and nervous. So it’s quite possible to get a weird or aggressive response from dogs when you blow on them.
Does our breath stink or the dog’s just a drama queen?
Now, I am not saying that your breath stinks, it’s just an assumption.
It does matter to dogs if your breath stinks but that will be the very last reason we’ll talk about however, we should definitely take it into account.
Dogs can be very fierce when it comes to their own space so blowing in their face is basically a violation of their personal space as well. This is bound to upset them since they wouldn’t be expecting you to just pop your face up next to them and suddenly start blowing.
This indeed will give out a negative reaction from them and totally catch you off guard.
Not to worry, your dog does not hate you neither is he or she wanting to be left alone. It’s the element of surprise that catches them off with a shock.
Imagine your dog peacefully sitting in front of the tv and they suddenly feel this wind on their face, it will feel strange to them since they would not be expecting it as it’s so out of the blue. The reaction that you get could be confused faces, pacing, growling, jumping around along with others. There could be more hostile attacks as well if your dog has gone through a traumatic experience or if they are overly sensitive.
With humans it also works the same, if someone enters our personal space we get confused and hostile at times too since we are not sure what they want from us. Uncertainty and surprise are common emotions to be felt and this is exactly why dogs hate this kind of behaviour.
They don’t like it when there is too much close face to face contact
Now everyone loves to get cuddly and affectionate with the dogs but if it gets too close for them then they are bound to snap.
Like we talked about personal space before, dogs might not take it as a sign of being affectionate if you blow on them.
They might just start barking, snapping or even as far as biting the person blowing on them. This does not mean that the dog has gone crazy or lost control. It just gives out red signals that they just simply don’t like it when their personal space is being affected. It is no mystery to any of us regarding the nature of dogs, be it pet dogs or street dogs. No animal likes it when they are being unnecessarily bothered and they find it unwelcome as no one likes “unwanted guests”.
Being such nice creatures it could be possible that you have been blowing on your dog and they haven’t shown a reaction until now which has left you flabbergasted. That means that your dog has great patience and has been avoiding any kind of aggravated behaviour towards you because they don’t want to come off as threatening.
Dogs get intimidated and take you as a threat
We see dogs as protectors and attackers both because what can protect can attack too. Many people also get dogs so that they have a sense of protection and are comfortable but if they make you comfortable you should also make them relaxed.
Moreover, since they are such good guards and can sense a threat clearly so when you come too close suddenly their immediate response to an unfamiliar thing is to counter-attack hence the contentious behaviour.
It is an instinct to protect themselves against any danger and if suddenly sprung upon then they could also possibly injure you too but not with intention just out of instinct.
Usually when there is a risk then dogs tend to know beforehand by their super-fast hearing and reflex. This helps them ward off any problem but sudden attacks leave them vulnerable and they become defensive and snap at the intruder.
Moreover, dogs hate it when you blow on them because they have very sensitive senses and through my research, I have discovered that they have 300 million olfactory receptors in their nose and they can definitely smell if you have bad breath. That could definitely cause them to recoil and walk away, maybe with their head shaking.
Is it their natural behaviour and can this disturb them psychologically?
Yes, this is their natural behaviour and as time progresses it can affect them mentally too. If this habit does not stop then yes, gradually your dog will start to be more cautious and experience drawback symptoms.
They might shut themselves down and become distant or they might become intensively assertive.
It’s better to give them their own space just as they like.
Humans too experience such emotions and have the same defence mechanism so why can’t we also give respect to our pets.
It all comes down to this…
Dogs certainly hate it when you blow on them as they get uneasy, alerted, fierce by such sudden actions. They are not used to such unexpected motions so they feel threatened and hence they respond to them instinctively by showing their predatory behaviour.
One must always make their pets more satisfied and also understand that when something is bothering them they should stop rather than carry on for their own pursuit. I don’t have any personal experience of this sort but research has shown me what should be expected from such activities.
Dogs are known for being on guard and on high alert, but with someone, they know they would be relaxed knowing this person won’t try anything to bother them or disturb them but like I said, such actions are spontaneous and for one’s own amusement. It shakes the dogs and they retaliate.
Now don’t go on trying this on your dog just to see if they react like this or not, it might not turn out good. Furthermore, try to research this yourself to gain a better insight and be more compassionate towards your pet dogs. Even if you don’t have a dog and you are aware that a friend behaves like this with their dog and make sure to let them know about the disadvantages these actions hold so that they become cautious and empathetic.