When the dog chatters his teeth, his jaw muscles contract intermittently and rapidly. If this phenomenon seems strange, it may have many more or less frightening explanations, such as fear, coldness, but also simple communication and excitement. If there is no real seriousness, the chatter of the dog’s teeth should not be resolved permanently or present itself for no apparent reason, otherwise it is better to consult a veterinarian or a veterinarian. iro. In this file, we will examine the main reasons why a dog may chat his teeth and what to do in this case.
My dog chatted his teeth because he was scared
Fear is an intense emotion that can cause dogs to chatter their teeth. Other neuro-vegetative manifestations may also be observed, such as bristling of the coat, mydriasis (expansion of the pupils), excessive saliva or even involuntary excretion of urine and / or feces. Its body retreated, as if folding itself, it trembled, the tail lower, the ears lowered and pressed against the skull. The doggie may also seek to flee or, conversely, begin to growl, bark, or even attack to defend himself against the object he is afraid of.
What to do?
Fear is a transient feeling, which the dog should only feel when he finds himself in a certain situation. If this happens for no apparent reason or if it is frequent, it is best to consult a behavioral veterinarian to determine the causes of this permanent fear and put in place a solution that will help the animal.
If the fear is temporary, try to figure out its source to calm the doggie. However, if your dog is afraid of a specific object or element, understanding the cause and implementing therapy or some new healthier behavior can help eliminate it.
My dog chatted his teeth because he was cold
Tremor of the teeth can be a tremor that occurs when the dog is cold. The dog will tremble, tremble and may tremble with a slight tremor. It is a normal phenomenon that is activated by the body to maintain the normal temperature inside the body. Typically, this behavior is observed when the dog is subjected to the lowest outdoor temperature, about 0 ° C.
On the other hand, if the animal is chattering its teeth and shivering in the cold when the temperature is normal (at least 15 ° C), it is best to consult a veterinarian to make sure that these vibrations do not hide a things, such as:
- fever;
- a weak garment, unable to protect the dog’s skin and maintain its body temperature;
- a significant thinness, lack of fat does not allow the dog to keep warm;
- hypothyroidism, because this gland helps maintain a normal temperature in dogs.
What to do?
If your dog grits his teeth because of the cold, you can cover him with a suitable coat when you go out. This helps him maintain normal body temperature by protecting his abdomen, back and sides. Some varieties of dogs, which have very delicate clothing, are particularly sensitive to cold.
On the other hand, as we have shown before, if this feeling of cold manifests itself outside the context of the real cold, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian.
My dog chatted his teeth because he was talking
By chatting with his teeth, the dog may also seek to communicate, and especially to express his emotions. In general, a chattering of teeth is released to show discomfort. So the dog will tend to seek satisfaction, especially by yawning, barking, sniffing his nose or trying to run away depending on its origin.
But that’s not all, because a dog can chat with its teeth to collect and analyze olfactory information passed on by one of its congeners. In this case, the pooch will curl his upper lip to get the smell to a part of his nostrils. This is more accurate about his vomeronasal organ, which is located under his nasal mucosa at the level of the nasal cavity. It opens the oral cavity through two orifices located behind the incisors, and it activates the olfactory bulb located in the brain and is able to interpret olfactory messages.
This phenomenon, which is also present in cats, is called “flehmen” (or “raising the upper lip” in German). It can be used by the pooch to pick up the smell of the urine of other dogs or to analyze other odors. To do this, he opens his mouth, curls his lips, sucks in air, saliva, or even licks the scented medium. Thus he can understand who this congener is who went through this same path earlier (a hot woman, a sick animal, a young dog, an aggressive or, conversely, a threatened dog, etc.) , simply by analysis. its pheromones, which are chemical messages that animals pass on to each other. The flehmen also allowed the dog to analyze an offensive odor.
However, if the smell is important to the dog’s eyes, he chats with his teeth at the same time as he curls his lips.
What to do?
There is not much that can be done in this case. The dog was not in danger, he was just trying to communicate and understand the smells seen. It’s better to just let it go, as long as there’s nothing wrong. Disrupting his process of deciphering the information understood can, on the other hand, upset him.
My dog chatted his teeth because he was excited
Finally, a dog may also start chatting with his teeth to show his excitement. This phenomenon is immediately apparent when the animal is playing, overly excited and dynamic, meaning when its master is preparing for a walk or when it is returning from a short or short absence, on the occasion of a play session or in indicates that he is excited about the idea of playing with his master or a congener, to express the desire for food and the impatience that accompanies it, and so on.
Often, when there is intense excitement, the chatter of the teeth is accompanied by other signs such as widening of the pupils, happy moaning, barking, shouting, jumping, relentless movement, more that is the fact of running in all directions or stamping, or rushing. .
What to do?
This phenomenon is normal, especially in young dogs and when the dog is faced with exciting situations. On the other hand, it should be easily controlled by the owner and not lead to drifting of the dog’s excitement. If not, it is better to consult a dog behaviorist to prevent this behavior from escalating and creating behavioral problems.
It may be wise to work on the wait with the animal, to help it manage its emotions and its excitement when it has to wait or to wait, to avoid creating poor management of frustration. In particular, it is recommended to completely ignore the dog when he shows this kind of behavior very severely and very regularly, that is to say, not looking at him, do not talk to him and do not touch him. . This will encourage him to calm down. Turn your back on him and wait for him to calm down to move on. Otherwise, he will think that this excessive behavior allows him to get what he wants and he will repeat it.