Dog ducking when I go and stroke his head. What could this be?

[Doggyyyyy]

My cocker spaniel (who is 5) has been ducking his head when I go and stroke him. He has also been wincing and crying unusually when he gets cuddles around the ear area. I took him to the vet and she said no ear infection and listened to everything I said, but hasn’t suggested anything. (He’s very anxious at the vet - she said spaniels are.)

Anyway he is also shivering a little bit lately too and really not himself - quite nervy, which isn’t like him (except at the vet).

I’m worried! What on earth could it be?

Have you started using a new dog walker or anything? My friend had this with her ex and it turned out he was smacking her dog when she wasn't about. I'm hopeful it's nothing like that but she also was baffled thinking it was an ear infection.

Your dear dog is being hit.

Sore neck?

I would agree that someone has hit your poor dog 😞

I have an 8 yr old WCS who has never been in kennels or had a dog walker.

she is a bit highly strung and a Velcro dog

she does not like anyone going to pat her head (other than people she knows) and I have picked up the term head shy

so when someone wants to pat her and I think it’s okay, she will sit and have a pat on the back.

she has had grass seeds before in her ear and has been cocked to that side/shaking head and luckily removed easilY
shes been checked

maybe some quiet time at home with a heat pad and rest

I know people do hit dogs to train them, but this makes me so sad. I really hope you get an explanation that can be remedied and that doesn't end up being this one.

So when you say hello to a dog you show your hand from underneath not come down on top….

however this is your dog and this is new behaviour

and I guess you are the most trusted person and they are wincing and crying from you ☹️

something else is going on, deferred pain? Did the vet have a good look in mouth? Eyes?

I would take him back to the vets and see a different vet. You know something isnt right and best to be sure it's not a medical issue.

My little Chorkie did this and I can assure you he was not being hit! I took him to the vet 3 times as he progressively got worse and worse, on the final time I insisted they keep him overnight. Every time we were at the vets he seemed to hide his symptoms. After they observed him overnight he was referred for an MRI scan which identified 1 slipped disc and 1 bulging disc in his upper back. His shivering was fear and a response to the pain. He was ducking his head in an effort to protect the sore area. The vets did not believe how well he'd hid his symptoms in front of them. He was in severe pain which only an emergency op at the specialist vets could resolve.

Take him back to the vet and push for further investigation please. Sorry if this post worries you but I couldn't not tell you my experience - it sounds almost identical.

He's not necessarily being hit - I'm not sure why everyone always has to leap to the worse conclusion on here.

I would ask the vet for a full check up - not just ears, but teeth and eyes too. If nothing is found then a pain trial would be a good idea to see if there's any pain from somewhere - dogs can be very stoic. Being a spaniel I would also check for matts and knots in his fur.

I am with Workingmammabear, it sounds more like an (spinal) injury. He could be just bruised from a jump/ fall or something more sinister. Best to take him back to the vets. Maybe you can video the behaviour for them to see and take things from there.

Agree my dog doesn't like things falling off like a teaspoon he is nervous of noise but if I stroke him when he's below me not sat with me I always approach with my hand under his chin. They feel threat with hands above their head most dogs do but if it's something new it's odd. Could it be the cold ? It's been -2 morning and evening here and I've been doing quick wee morning then big walk midday I usually do morning walk midday then t time but it's just too cold for my shihtzu just as bad as when it's too hot. Also sounds like pain maybe as others suggest a full check.

Have you checked the fur around his ears? My working cocker is prone to tatts on his flugs (fuzzy lugs) especially the back.

I hope not. Some people shouldn't be let near a dog or any animal, come to that.

I think I'd go back to the vets and ask for a different vet and if they can't find anything ask for an MRI scan. Your dog must be in pain to wince away from you, could it have fallen awkwardly or someone has hit the dog and terrified it. One of my dogs didn't want to walk. The vet saw it looked at its legs and said it was fine. I had to take it back and ask to see the other vet who works at the same practice and it turned out it had a torn tendon and was in pain. No idea how it could have happened and I was home with the dog most of the time. If ever I need to see the vet now I ask for the one who diagnosed the dog correctly.

Not necessarily.

My cocker ducks her head/neck when people try and pay her there - because of arthritis. Her neck hurts and she doesn’t want pressure applied

An MRI is a hell of an expensive diagnostic to jump straight to, especially if you don't have a specific area that is the cause. Most vets will recommend several cheaper things first.

I agree with going back to the vet (ask to see another one, maybe ask the receptionist which individual vet they would recommend for musculoskeletal things). I would assume your dog has hurt their neck, back, ribs, pelvis or something like that. Is it possible that they have had a slip or fall recently?

I would expect a vet to do a full body palpation/examination, see then walk/trot up, and maybe suggest a short course of a painkiller to see if that improves things, well before they suggested or agreed to an Xray (and then an MRI if needed).

I would also ask the vet for a recommendation for a canine veterinary physiotherapist. A bodyworker specialist will both be cheaper than an MRI and, working in conjunction with the vet and their diagnostics, could help find a physical reason for the pain. And I would assume this is pain related, unless there is a good reason to believe psychological.

Edited to be clear: I'm assuming neck or back since the vet has ruled out ears. The shivering is pain. Please don't ignore this.

One easy and inexpensive thing you can do is to treat him for ear mites to rule that out. Some worming/flea treatment tablets also cover ear mites, so this can be done with one pill rather than distress him by putting ear drops in.

He is definitely not been hit by anyone. He doesn’t have a dog walker as DH works from home full time and I do part time. He hasn’t been around any new people lately - and when we go for walks, he doesn’t stray off too far - just plays and runs happily within sight (he’s prefers to know where we are).

Yes his behaviour is new and odd! I will take him back to the vet. Thank you for this advice! So sad to hear that my instinct that the shivering is pain is probably right 😔

Is he able to open his mouth okay I have seen dogs in the past that had pain in their Tempomandibular joint there are various conditions that can cause this. Fairly easy to diagnose without an MRI.

My 6 month puppy dislikes his head being stroked and he has definitely never been hit. We tickle him under his chin and stroke his chest instead which he enjoys.

I have read a lot of dogs don’t like their head being stroked or patted and it can feel threatening to them if a hand suddenly descends to their head.

If it was my Cocker I would bet he has a wild grass planted deep in his ear.

This was what happened to my lovely dog. He had a brain tumour, and a fast growing one. We took him to the vets at the start of January, and he left us mid Feb.

I’ve got a 40kg bull lurcher. We’ve never hit him in training. It’s absolutely not necessary and counter productive. If I saw anyone using aggression to train a dog I’d hit them myself (yes I see the irony)

My idiot dog repeatedly tries to jump up while under the table. It may be that your dog has hit its own head.

Our dog did this when she had a grass seed down her ear. It wasn't initially visible and no signs of infection, and we had to go back to the vet twice before we finally figured out what was going on.