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Dogs have some amazing behaviors, with some causing concern in pet parents. For instance, what causes a male dog to click his teeth? Is there something wrong when he does this?
Have you noticed your male dog clicking his teeth? Are you worried this behavior could mean there’s something wrong with your dog? If so, you’ve come to the right place. We understand it can be scary when your dog does something like this.
We’ve put together some reasons a male dog may click his teeth and what you can do to help him. Let’s get started!
Why Do Male Dogs Click Their Teeth?
There are many reasons a male dog might click his teeth. Thankfully, most of these are harmless. However, the behavior can sometimes mean there’s something going on that you need to check.
Here are some of the most common reasons a male dog may click his teeth:
- Shivering: when a male dog becomes too cold, he may shiver and click his teeth together at the same time. This is his body’s way of trying to warm up. This is the same behavior that we humans exhibit when we’re cold.
- Feeling threatened: another reason a male dog may chatter his teeth is that he feels threatened. Chattering teeth can be a way to distract another dog that may be threatening your dog. It also alerts the other dog that your male dog may feel afraid. What’s more, chattering his teeth may also help your dog feel calmer if he feels threatened in some way.
- Pain or distress: may also cause a male dog to chatter his teeth.
- Excitement & happiness: a dog may also chatter his teeth if he’s feeling excited and happy. You may notice this after coming home from work. A dog may chatter when they’re excited and happy to see another canine friend and more.
- Health issues: a male dog may also chatter his teeth if he’s suffering from an underlying health issue. Chattering teeth may be an indication of pain, oral health issues, epilepsy, and more.
How to Help Your Dog
If your dog is chattering his teeth when excited, happy, or even when he’s scared, these are all normal behaviors. If he’s afraid, do what’s needed to calm him down and reassure him. And if he’s too cold, be sure to get him warmed up as soon as possible.
On the other hand, if your dog seems to be in pain or suffering from a health issue, it’s best to make an appointment with the vet. They can examine your dog to find and treat the underlying health issue.
In most cases, chattering teeth is normal canine behavior. But when your dog is chattering and has other symptoms or behaviors with the chattering, it’s best to have him examined by the vet. He may have an underlying health issue that needs to be treated.
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Kim
Kim is a talented author, who loves animals especially dogs. She engaged in writing books and articles relating to animals a decade ago. Kim resides in Chicago with her husband and son. The family is the proud owner of a dog and a parrot (Jack and Lily). Kim wanted more than these two pets, but her husband put his foot down... She often visits elementary schools to talk to the kids about what she learned about pets and how they could learn from them.
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