Why does my pup hate it when we blow on her?

I read a post on here about someone getting bit by a dog as a child because they blew on the dog. So, I decided to try it with Sophie to see what she would do. She bares her teeth and acts like she's going to bite you in the face, but then she doesn't really. What is the big deal about blowing? I keep doing it trying to get her used to it but she still hates it.

why would a child blow in a dogs face?

i supervise my kids quite closely when they are around the dog, they arent allowed to do anything to the dog that they wouldnt enjoy me doing to them.

why would you want her to be used to blowing in her face? I know I myself wouldnt enjoy someone blowing in my face, so I dont expect my Dog to enjoy it either


Eleni

my dog just blinks and rubs his face with his paws when i do that. sometimes he tries to lick me as well (maybe he smelled food on my breath). but he's never acted hostile to me when i blew in his face.

We used to do that to my friend's dog. He would lick the air at us. It was quite funny.

why would a child blow in a dogs face? Eleni, who knows why a child does any of the things that they do? I was just curious because I had read that post and that was one of the things that I had never thought of exposing her to and wanted to see how she would react. You have to expose them to lots of different things to keep them from freaking out when they finally do encounter it. I have 3 kids and they bring their friends over and I also babysit. My older kids are 8 and 10 so I don't supervise them every second, it's just not possible. So, I don't want my dog acting all crazy and biting someone when she's grown for doing something stupid but harmless, just because it's new to her. Make sense?

Makes perfect sense to me. Better than having someone get bitten cuz they blow on a dog.

I just now tried it with my two beagles. The older one just looked at me like I'd lost my mind, and then moved to the opposite end of the couch.

The puppy looked interested, then scared, and then ran away from me. I had to coax her back.

Then I spent 5 minutes blowing on her and making a game of it. Now it's fun and she's not scared anymore.

I too am wondering WHY blowing on a dog would upset it enough to run away or bite.

I agree with desensitizing your dog for this because you never know what a child will do to a dog all of a sudden. What I would do too is eat something smelly and tasty and blow softly on the doggy's face. If your breath is tasty, she might not react so strongly. You can also say "it's ok" between breaths to reassure her. Then you gradually blow harder and harder each time you do it. (My doggies like chocolate breath..) It's also a trust thing. Your dog has to know that whatever your intentions are, they are good.

At a huge family party, my 2 year old cousin bit my dobie on the a**. We were all watching but he wandered over so quick and just sunk his teeth in. You can't prevent everything, so all you can do is desensitize your dog so that whatever happens, you know the dog won't react badly.

My last dog, barred his teeth. Capone just licks the air and covers his face. Have someone blow in your eyes, it is not pleasant. It feels like your eyes are drying out.

Poor capone gets zerberts right on his nose from my 9 year old. Doesn't even flinch. As long as you try to expose them to every little tug, poke and blow the dog will be better off. Im so glad we have an ADD now 9 year old in the house for capones sake. Capone is so excepting of anything done to him because of her. She knows the rules but she is naturally more aggressive. capone has helped her alot.

why do most dogs not like it if you blow on their face, but nearly every dog likes to sticks it head out of a moving cars window, if given the opportunity??

Diamond thinks it's an invitation to play! I did it the other day and she dips her chin down.....opens her mouth.....wags her tail....and lunges! I know it's coming so I'm prepared.
I also have the same luck when it comes to a hand motion. If I pretend I'm going to smack her, she gets all excited and knows it's my invitation to play. I don't ever want her being hand shy, especially around children who are always flailing their arms.

I've also always been curious as to why dogs react as they do to being blown on. It's a rather strange reaction....dont' you think? :confused:

Maybe it has something to do with when another dog is confronting a dog, the muzzles are close and the breathing is heavy-- that's the only time I know of that a dog would feel blown on...

I will try eating something yummy and doing it. I tried it once and when she didn't like it I went and brushed my teeth, LOL! She still didn't like it so I think it's just the air. I have had air blown in my eyes at the eye doctor and it wasn't pleasant. We're not even blowing right in her eyes. I think she just isn't sure where the air is coming from. She's funny like that. I dry her off with a towel after we come in from outside and she doesn't know that my hand is under the towel so she tries to bite the weird thing that's grabbing her. It's kinda funny.

Blow really softly though for the first few times, so there is just smell, not a disturbing "wind"...

Im so glad we have an ADD now 9 year old in the house for capones sake. My almost 8 yr old has ADHD, so I know what you're talking about. I have a 4yr old nephew and a 2yr old nephew who give the pup a run for her money.

Both of my boys think it's a game... they play and roll when I blow on their face ot ears.. never had a dog hate it..

I tried it on Sadie! She just licked the air and stared at me like I was crazy. Then finally she snapped at the air coming from my mouth.

We're all such mean doggy parents right now! Haha. It's not a big deal people. You're dog's not going to die from being blown on. It's a good thing to desensitize them. Dogs can cause a lot of damage in a clash with a child. I would rather err on the side of annoying my dog in order to desensitize it, and therefore avoiding potentially serious trouble later on!

It's funny to hear all the different reactions dogs have. I guess some are just more tolerant than others to it.

Thanks, Sadie's Mom. I'm glad I'm not the only mean mom.

That's one of the tests I put my fosters through. I would rather know the reaction than find out the hard way when a dog is placed in a family with children that it is adverse to it. My kids are taught not to do it but I have seen grown adults do it to be funny as well as children just not realizing that the dog may not want to be breathed on or raspberried. Nothing cruel in desensitizing a dog to it. :)