Why does my German Shepherd shake his head?

If your German Shepherd shakes its head you might be wondering why. This post will show you a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might shake its head.

So, why does my German Shepherd shake its head? Possible reasons are that it’s wet, it has water in its ears, it has an ear infection or allergies or there is something stuck in its ears.

There are a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might shake its head and there are also a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why it does it.

Why your German Shepherd shakes its head

Each of the different reasons why your German Shepherd will shake its head will often come with a number of clues in the way that it does it.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might shake its head and the signs to look for.

It’s wet

The reason why it shakes its head could simply be that it is wet. By shaking its head it will be able to wick the moisture away from its fur which will help it to be drier. This would be more likely if it does it right after getting wet and if it also shakes its body as well.

It has water in its ear

It could also be the case that there is water in its ear and it is trying to get it out. This would be more likely if it does it right after something happens that would cause it to get water in its ear such as if it just went for a swim.

It has an ear infection

The reason why it has been shaking its head could be that it has an ear infection. This would be more likely if it has been shaking its head repeatedly and if it has been shaking it at times where it is not wet and it hasn’t been swimming recently. If it does appear to have an ear infection then it would help to take it to a vet.

It has allergies

It could also be the case that it has allergies and it is causing it to shake its head due to it being itchy. This would be more likely if your German Shepherd has been doing it when it is dry and if it has also been scratching at its head as well. Again, in this case, it would likely help to take it to a vet.

Something is stuck in its ears

Another possible cause might be that there is something stuck in its ears. This would be more likely if it shakes its head in an unusual way, it does it when it is dry and if it did it after something happened that may have caused something to get stuck in its ears.

There is a more serious condition

Sometimes, German Shepherds will shake their heads due to a more serious condition such as neurological disorders and inflammatory diseases. This would be more likely to be the reason if your German Shepherd has been acting unusually in other ways as well and if its head shaking is especially vigorous. In this case, the best option for you would be to take it to a vet.

Consider when it does it

When trying to figure out why your German Shepherd shakes its head it would help to consider when and where it does it.

If it does it right after getting wet then it would make it much more likely that it is doing it due to being wet or having water in its ears.

If it does it when it hasn’t gotten wet recently then it could just be that it was itchy at the time. However, if it does it repeatedly, then it would make it more likely to be due to things such as allergies, having something stuck in its ear or an ear infection. In this case, it would help to take it to a vet.

Consider when it first started doing it

If your German Shepherd has been shaking its head repeatedly then it would help to consider what happened when it first started to do it. For example, if it started doing it after it ran through some bushes then it would be more likely that something got stuck in its ear. If it has been doing it repeatedly then it would likely be worthwhile for you to take it to a vet.

Consider how often it does it

It would also help to consider how often it shakes its head. If it does it a lot or it there doesn’t seem to be an apparent cause then it would help to take it to a vet to get an expert opinion.