a photo of a corgi shaking off water

The Dog "Shake Off"

If you've ever wondered why your dog shakes off when they have not been in water it's because they were recently stressed or anxious. The shake off is normal behavior whether your dog is wet or not but it has a different meaning that is important to understand. Understanding why your dog 'shakes off' when they aren't wet can provide valuable insights into their emotional state. 

Other than being wet, when a dog shakes off this means they just went through stress or over-excitement. This is a valuable tip for you to consider in the future. If your dog shakes off during a training session you should note this so you have information to support them in the future. Knowing your dog just went through a stressful event can help you plan for their future by lowering or limiting their exposure to the event that caused the shake off.

This doesn't mean we stop training or walking our dogs, it just means we become more away of our dog's stressors and try to work more slowly or increase distance for them to feel more comfortable in the future. 

I sure we we humans had a way to relieve stress this way!

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