Last updated on March 20th, 2023 at 04:22 pm

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Why Dogs Dislike When You Blow in Their Face: A Comprehensive Guide

Do you remember the first time that you blew in your dog’s face? Perhaps it was when he was a puppy, or maybe it was when he was an adult. Either way, it probably made him uncomfortable and triggered his natural impulse to avoid anything that could be seen as a threat. In fact, dogs hate it when you blow in their faces for several reasons, but they all boil down to one universal truth: dogs have sensitive noses. In this article, we’ll go over everything about these guys and why they hate it when you blow in their face.

Quick Answer:

Blowing in a dog’s face doesn’t hurt them at all. In fact, it’s usually used as a way to show affection or to encourage them to breathe in your scent. If a dog is scared, or in pain, then they might react to the situation by trying to avoid being smelt by the source of the distress. A dog will automatically react in this way if they hear you blow across your hand, as this is the same noise that they would hear in their nose. There’s no need to worry about harming your dog in any way, because dogs instinctively know to be afraid of things like fire and people (who are trying to consciously smell them).

Well, for those who wanted a quick answer there it is. However, it’s a bit more complicated than just that. Continue reading to learn more.

The Root Of Why They Hate It 3 Reasons

There are many reasons why dogs hate it when you blow in their face. If we dig a little deeper, though, we can find the root of the problem. Blowing in their face is a very common gesture with us owners, and it’s often used to communicate affection, like in a kiss. But for dogs, this gesture is confusing and even threatening sometimes. This is why your dog might react so negatively! Not because they don’t appreciate the  affection, but rather they think of it as something else.

Let’s go deeper into the top three reasons as why dogs hate it:

1 – Not Comfortable With It

You may be wondering why a dog would be uncomfortable with something as common as blowing in their face. After all, they’re used to it. In some cases, they’re even used to smelling your breath, so it shouldn’t be a major shock. That’s true. But just like humans dogs have a boundary when it comes to comfort. Getting to close up in their faces can be extremely uncomfortable for them. When you blow in their faces you’re usually close in contact with them and some dogs are simply just not comfortable with it.

Well, those are the top three reasons. Let’s get into some common questions before wrapping up this article. 

2 – Because of the smell

Dogs don’t just have a keen sense of smell, they have an amazing sense of smell. In fact, they have around 40 times the number of olfactory cells as humans do, which means that they can detect even the tiniest traces of odor. That’s why they’re so good at hunting and finding things.

When you blow in their faces, you’re also blowing in their nose. This is why your dog might react so negatively! They smell you’re odor when you blow in their faces and it’s so strong for them they simply don’t like it. Imagine someone blows in your face you wouldn’t bare the smell. Dogs have 40 times better sense of smell than us. Think how they feel when you do it. 

Fun Fact About Their Sense Of Smell:

You may find it surprising, but dogs actually have a very specific scent that they produce. It’s called canine odor, and it’s a combination of pheromones and other substances that are secreted by the glands in their cheeks. This scent is specific to dogs, and it’s present almost everywhere: in the air, on surfaces, and even in your dog’s coat. That’s why your dog will often notice when other canines are in the area. And as you’re aware, they view other dogs as threats.

3 – They View It As Aggression

The first reason is that dogs view the act of blowing in their faces as an aggressive act.

It’s even possible that they associate it with aggression from people or other animals. To them, blowing in their face is a threat, so they naturally react negatively to you.

Video Of a Dog Showing Aggression When Blowing On His Face: 

FAQS

Why Do People Blow On Dogs Faces?

There are many reasons, by blowing on their face, you’re helping them to release some of that excess energy and feeling more relaxed. Others may think that it’s a sign of affection and want to start petting him or give him a treat as a reward for doing it themselves. Regardless of the reason, people will often blow on dogs faces as a way of calming down in situations where they are tense or uncomfortable or to show affection.

Why I Shouldn’t Blow In a Dogs Face?

There are several reasons why you shouldn’t blow in a dog’s face, and they all boil down to one universal truth: Dogs have sensitive noses.

To your dog, blowing in his face is a threat, and he naturally reacts negatively to it. And while your dog may be confused by it, it’s also likely that he’s scared. What happens when a dog is scared? They may emit a high-pitched whine, they might lick themselves to try to comfort themselves, or they might try to hide. And what do you think your dog will do when you blow in his face? He’ll likely hide. He might try to lick himself to try to soothe himself. Because of this, you should try to minimize this behavior. If you do unconsciously blow in your dog’s face, you should stop.

Read More About If Dogs Can Eat Oreos?

Does blowing On a Dogs nose hurt them?

There’s no way to blow in a dog’s face without blowing in/on their nose. If you take a deep breath and then try to blow across your hands without your cheeks constricting to form a vacuum, you’ll immediately see how difficult it is to do this without blowing air into your dog’s nose. Since dogs breathe through their noses, it’s pretty much impossible to blow air into their hands without blowing air into their nose.

Dogs don’t really understand where their nose ends and your hands begin, so it’s not like they can consciously try to avoid this. This is why they’ll try to avoid your hands while they’re eating or while they’re just lying around waiting for you to give them attention. Dogs have a very primal urge to avoid anything that could be seen as a threat, so a simple blow can be seen as a threat by a dog who’s sensitive about the whole thing.

Bottom Line

Dogs have very sensitive noses, so blowing air in your dog’s face is usually only used as a way to show affection. If your dog is scared, or in pain, they might react by trying to avoid being smelt by the source of the distress. Dogs will automatically react in this way if they hear you blow across your hand, as this is the same noise that they would hear in their nose. There’s no need to worry about harming your dog in any way, because dogs instinctively know to be afraid of things like fire and people (who are trying to consciously smell them.

References:

https://www.quora.com/Why-do-dogs-freak-out-so-much-when-you-blow-in-their-face

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8388720/

https://www.medi-vet.com/Comfort-Zone-With-D-A-P-Dogs-p/16606.htm