This post covers some common reasons for head-shaking behavior that you don’t need to worry about. Then it discusses possible concerning reasons why your dog might be shaking its head, and what you should do about it.
Since pooches don’t have opposable thumbs, head shaking is the easiest way to get rid of an object that is stuck in their ear.
After sleeping in one position for a long period, it is common for a dog to yawn, stretch, and give its head a good shake.
An ear infection is the most frequent issue that causes excessive head-shaking in dogs. These infections can occur in the outer, middle, or inner ear canal.
A quick shake of the head is usually enough for your pet to get rid of any water remaining in its ears after swimming or bathing. However, sometimes water gets trapped in the ear and can cause your dog to keep on shaking its head.
The ear trauma could have been caused by an external source, like a bite wound from another dog at the park, or a scrape against a tree branch. Other times, the cause is self-trauma, like when your pup continually scratches its ear.