When Having Their Ears Rubbed -
Why Do Some Dogs Get Mad & Snap

By Teri Champigny

Did you know that some dogs cannot stand the feeling of people rubbing and grabbing at their ears? While it's true that the ears can be a soft spot for many dogs, which when rubbed will make a dog melt like butter, but on the other end of the spectrum there are dogs which become very aggressive if their ears are touched.

For these dogs, the feeling of having their ears rubbed would be like a stranger coming up to you and start patting you on your back and rubbing your neck. I don't know about you, but that would make me feel very uncomfortable! These dogs are not being snobbish or anything like that, it's just that dogs may have different approaches to relating to one another, and towards humans too.

Some Dogs Hate It

One of the main reasons that some dogs shy away from having their ears touched or rubbed is because of the height factor. Typically, strangers who approach a dog and attempt to rub or touch his ears are of much greater height than the dog is.  And if he has a dominant personality, then this dog will experience anxiety and defensiveness due to the looming presence of this stranger above him.

Dogs do not expect humans to act in the same way as other dogs do, but it is their instincts that cause them to become aggressive when a stranger whom they don't know is hovering above them while reaching down for their ears. For the dog that does not recognize the person, this is not a comfortable scenario.

Of course all of this changes if the dog knows you and is comfortable with you. While an overly aggressive and defensive dog may snap or do their best to get away from an unfamiliar ear-petting, this same dog would anxiously await a good rubbing from an adult or child that they recognize and feel comfortable around.

Some Dogs Love It

Having mentioned dogs with dominant personalities who do not like having their ears rubbed by strangers, there are also dogs who are just naturally submissive and could care less who or what is trying to rub their ears. 

Regardless of how dominant another person or dog is who is hovering above him with outstretched hands, the submissive dog only knows one reaction and that is to welcome this physical petting.  In fact, just like my Chihuahua does, he or she may roll over on its back to show respect to the larger dog or human no matter if he knows them or not.