Key facts at a glance
- Sneezing in dogs can be a symptom of a cold or an allergy.
- When playing, dogs want to signal by sneezing that everything is okay and they’re just kidding.
- Sometimes sneezing in dogs is a skip action triggered by excitement.
- Not every four-legged friend sneezes to communicate with playmates.
Why sneezing in dogs is often harmless
There are a variety of behaviors in dogs that we don’t understand at first and that don’t make any sense to us. This is mainly due to the fact that our four-legged friends communicate a lot with their body language, while vocalizations play a lesser role compared to communication between humans.
One such behavior is sneezing, which is quite common in dogs at play. As a caring owner, you may be concerned about the health of your four-legged friend in this case. After all, sneezing in dogs can definitely indicate a health problem.
Sneezing in dogs as a calming signal
Dogs use a number of different soothing signals to communicate. These are used to avoid arguments and conflicts. This includes, for example, turning your head away, yawning and licking your own nose.
In addition, sneezing can sometimes be such a calming signal. This does not always have to be the case. However, if a dog sneezes during play, it is very likely to make it clear that everything is okay and that it has no intention of harming or seriously injuring the other player.
Sneezing in the dog as a skip action
Occasionally, dogs may sneeze due to excitement. In this case, it is a so-called skip action that has nothing to do with the actual events.
Your dog may sneeze when you get home from work or when he expects you to take him for a walk. In this case, too, the sneezing is completely harmless and you don’t have to worry about the well-being of your four-legged friend.
Sometimes it’s just a sneeze
Of course, it can also be the case that your dog simply has to sneeze without being ill or wanting to tell you anything in this way. Maybe a blade of grass tickled his nose while he was romping or he inhaled some dust. Just like in us, the associated tingling triggers a sneeze reflex in dogs.
Foreign body in the nose as the cause
If your dog has never sneezed before, but suddenly does it repeatedly and even when it is at rest, health problems can be the reason. It’s not always a cold. Foreign objects such as an awn can also trigger sneezing. Your veterinarian can find out if this is the case during an examination.
Not all dogs sneeze in the game
Although sneezing is very common among dogs at play, this behavior is by no means common to all animals. After all, all dogs are different and express themselves accordingly in different ways. It is therefore quite possible that your dog does not sneeze at all when playing and instead communicates in other ways.