Why Do Dogs Shake?

There are several reasons why a dog shakes, making its whole body vibrate — some of these are completely natural, while others need our attention.

If your dog shakes too often, or you think it might have some issue causing it to shake more than usual, give us a few minutes and we'll show you the main causes.

Shaking From Temperature Changes

When a dog is nice and warm at home and goes out for a walk, the temperature change gives it an odd sensation in its coat, which in turn triggers a shake.

The same happens when it's very cold outside and we come back into a warm home — our dog will shake to "release," so to speak, the chill built up in its coat.

It Shakes When It's Wet

You've surely noticed that when your dog gets wet, it shakes to dry off, getting rid of most of the water in its coat. They do this when they get out of the bath (when we bathe them) or when it's raining outside and they get wet.

Even if they go into a river or lake to cool off, when they get out it's common for them to shake once or twice, getting rid of the water that's built up in their coat and skin — or at least a good part of it.

Parasites in the Fur or Skin

Parasites like fleas, ticks, and even some mites can cause enough discomfort in our dog that it feels the need to shake to try to get rid of them.

Actually, any parasite or insect can cause this tickling or discomfort, so if we notice our dog shaking excessively for no apparent reason, it would be worth thoroughly checking its coat for possible parasites or insects.

Shaking When Its Mood Changes — Stress

Have you ever seen your dog angry? Generally their hackles rise (a small ridge appears along their back), letting us and other dogs know they're in a stressed state.

Once that state passes, it's completely normal for a dog to shake, fully lowering that small ridge it previously showed along its back. Shaking in these situations is like switching moods.

Dirt Also Makes Them Shake

Dirt, dust, or grime in general can make our dog feel the need to shake multiple times until it feels cleaner.

This is completely normal, since they do it purely by instinct — their body is fully covered in fur, and a good shake can help release that dirt.

It Shakes Its Head

In the cases above, we've covered reasons why a dog shakes its whole body, but... what if it only shakes its head?

When a dog repeatedly shakes its head, the reasons can be very different — anything from an ear or eye infection to more serious issues like internal inflammation.