Why do dogs shake off?

Dogs are expert shakers! As we well know, they shake water off themselves after a bath, but they also do it when they wake up and even after you hug them or groom them. Next time you see Doggie shaking away, think about his wild ancestors, and that might give you a clue about his behavior. read more

So, wild dogs would shake to release all that from their fur upon waking up, according to experts from Washington University Medical School. Sure, Doggie might be sleeping in a comfy dog bed, or even on your bed, but that wild instinct to shake off bugs still remains. read more

The body shake is one of the most easily recognized body signals or doggy vocabulary words for owners to see and hear. The body movement looks similar to when your dog steps out of water and shakes half the pond, ocean, or street muck off onto your clean clothes or towel. read more

But of course, dogs don't follow in our footsteps. They follow those of their ancient predecessors. Like many of the reasons why dogs do the things they do, the origins of the morning stretch - and often shake - can be traced back to a time when every day was a battle to survive. read more