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Why Do Dogs Shake Themselves When They are not Wet?

Dog-behaviour expert Dr. Ian Dunbar explains just what motivates our canine friends to perform some of their more perplexing actions

By: Dr. Ian Dunbar

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Illustrations by Jess Golden

I would imagine itโ€™s because of some kind of skin irritation. What can they do? Itโ€™s not like they can go in for a massage or tell their owner, โ€œScratch this spot here.โ€ A lot of dogs will also shake when they wake up. They yawn, they stretch, and then, often, they shake. I think itโ€™s just getting the body moving again. But with all of these โ€œWhy do dogs?โ€ questions, we never actually know why theyโ€™re doing what they do and it would crack me up if, when we go to that place in the sky afterwards and I meet my dogs, they say, โ€œYou were so wrong. We shake because we were dreaming that we were underwater and retrieving ducks. I woke up and I had to shake the water off!โ€ We can give an educated opinion, but we never know for sure.

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By: Dr. Ian Dunbar
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