Why is My Dog Obsessed With ‘Shaking It Off’, Even When They’re Dry?

Picture the scene: you give your dog a hug and they do the most dramatic shake you’ve ever seen. Even bigger than when they’ve just had a bath and shake water all over your freshly cleaned house. It may seem random, because they’re completely dry. But the shake-off, as it’s known, is something to pay attention to if you’d like to understand your dog on another level – and help them relax. 

A vigorous full body shake that goes all the way from their head to their tail, the shake-off is something that every dog does. And they’re not alone in the animal kingdom. When wet, many furry creatures – including dogs’ close relatives, wolves – shake off to dry quicker and preserve body heat. (Did you know that dogs can shake off around 70 percent of water from their fur in just four seconds?)

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When dry, they shake off for a whole different reason. From releasing tension to responding to an irritation, the dry shake-off can have a deeper emotional meaning. 

A clever reset

We often see shake-offs “in dogs who need either a physical or emotional ‘reset’,” says provisional clinical animal behaviourist Rachael Claire. “The purpose of the shake-off appears to be the release of accumulated tension in the muscles or adrenaline in the body, helping to dissipate excess energy.” In other words, think of it as “the equivalent of taking a deep sigh after a situation that you found exciting or stressful has ended.”

That reset can even lower your dog’s pulse. A study examined dogs’ pulses on walks and found that a shake-off happened after their pulse rate significantly increased. But after the shake-off, the dogs’ pulse rates reduced, lending weight to the idea that the shaking helps them self-regulate. 

When you may see a shake-off

It’s key to remember that stress in the physiological sense can be positive or negative. Excitement and anticipation can build up stress in the body as can something that frightens or frustrates your dog. And that’s why you may notice them shaking off in a variety of situations. 

“At the low end of the emotional spectrum, we might see dogs shake off after toileting or waking up, to release any muscle tension built up beforehand,” Claire explains. Shake-offs can also occur when your dog’s had enough of training or may be finding it too difficult. 

When your dog is excited

Then there are the exciting situations that can trigger shaking off – for example, when you walk through the front door after work, you pick up their lead, or your dog has a mega play session with another dog. During play that’s getting a little intense, you may even notice two dogs pause and shake off at a similar time, allowing for a break in play or for play to finish completely. A smooth transition indeed. 

When your dog is anxious

There are also worrying or stressful situations. As Claire says, a shake-off in this context could be due to something in the environment such as a loud bang or a tense interaction with a dog or person. Think “an off-lead dog running over or a visit to the vet. The dog will usually shake off when they are out of the situation and have had some time to recover and feel safe again.”

As a fellow behaviourist, I see this a lot when a dog is touched by a person in a way that may make them feel uncomfortable. They’re hugged by a family member or patted on the head by a stranger and shake off almost as a sigh of relief that the interaction’s over. 

When your dog is physically uncomfortable

Finally, physical discomfort can play a role. A dog who doesn’t enjoy wearing their harness or collar may shake off once it’s removed or even walk around shaking while it’s on. 

When is it too much?

Monitoring how often your dog shakes off and the situations it happens in is crucial. If it seems excessive, they may be in some form of physical discomfort that you can’t detect or be suffering from something that is more obvious like allergies or an ear infection. Other signs that a medical issue may be affecting your dog include:

• Scratching or nibbling at their body.

• Limping or struggling to move in the way they usually do.

• Appetite changes.

• Vomiting or diarrhoea.

• Changes to their energy levels or behaviour.

A lot of shaking can also be a sign of an underlying emotional issue such as chronic stress or anxiety. Look out for other subtle stress signs such as lip licking, yawning, panting and whale eye (where you can see the whites of their eyes).

If you’re concerned, it’s always best to book a vet visit. Your vet can then point you in the direction of another professional such as a behaviourist if needed. Or you can find accredited trainers and behaviourists via the ABTC.

Learning from the shake-off

Ultimately though, “shake-offs are positive!” says Claire. She advises logging every time your dog shakes off over the next week, paying attention to what happened just before it to learn more about what they find exciting or stressful. 

“If your dog was behaving anxiously before the shake-off, you could then begin providing reassurance or avoiding these situations for a while to help prevent escalations in behaviour going forward,” she says. A behaviourist can then help you come up with a plan to desensitise your dog to anything they’re worried about.

In some scenarios, long-term avoidance is the easiest and kindest thing to do. For example, it’s unfair to expect dogs to tolerate being tightly squeezed and hugged when we can learn to interact with them in a better way. Or for them to be forced into a busy pub on a Saturday afternoon when they’d rather stay at home. Similarly, if our training methods are causing them stress, then we can easily switch to reward-based techniques to boost their quality of life. 

It can also be a good idea “to praise your dog for shaking off so that they are more likely to repeat the behaviour in the future, potentially more quickly than before,” Claire adds. “This is a way of encouraging your dog to self-soothe. The less time your dog is in a stressed state, the better it is for their health and behaviour.”

A fun trick you can teach them is to shake off on cue. As they shake, say a verbal cue such as “shake”, rewarding them afterwards. Repeat this regularly. Then after an exciting or stressful event, say your cue to remind them to shake it off – Taylor Swift-style.

Resources

Zhang, Dawei, et al. “ C-ltmrs evoke wet dog shakes via the spinoparabrachial pathway.” Science, vol. 386, no. 6722, 8 Nov. 2024, pp. 686–692.

Thomasy, Hannah. “ What Drives the ‘Wet Dog Shakes’ Reflex in Furry Animals?” The Scientist, 7 Nov. 2024.

Dickerson, Andrew K., et al. “ Wet mammals shake at tuned frequencies to dry.” Journal of The Royal Society Interface, vol. 9, no. 77, 17 Aug. 2012, pp. 3208–3218.

Bryce, Ani, et al. “ Shake it off: Investigating the function of a domestic dog behavior in social contexts.” Animals, vol. 14, no. 22, 13 Nov. 2024, p. 3248, 

Budzinski, Aurélien, and Cristina Budzinski. “ Pulse Study ‘at the Heart of the Walk.’” Dog Field Study.