The reason your dog burps in your face is nothing more than coincidence. Although dogs communicate through body language and verbal cues, burping is involuntary. If a dog burps in your face, they just happened to be facing you when this involuntary reaction occurred.
You are lounging on the couch and your best bud rushes towards you, seemingly excited. You open your arms, expecting to be met with a shower of kisses, except there is an unexpected twist. Your bud lets out a pungent, foul-smelling belch.
As discussed above, your dog didn’t intentionally burp in your face. They aren’t being rude or trying to tell you something. The fact that it happened in your face is just a coincidence.
With that said, if this “coincidence” continues to happen, you may want to explore WHY your dog is burping so much.
Below, we will go over the top six reasons your dog is burping more than usual. We will then cover some things you might do (unknowingly) to encourage your dog to burp in your face!
What You'll Learn
What’s Causing Your Dog to Burp?
Eating and Drinking Too Fast
Belching is usually the result of eating or drinking too fast. Like humans, dogs often become overly excited at the sight of food, which causes them to eat way too fast.
When a dog eats too fast, they’re also engulfing excess air, which gets trapped in the esophagus. To release this trapped air, your buddy may let out a healthy belch from time to time. This is the primary purpose of a nice, healthy burp–to expel gas from the digestive tract.
There are a few fairly easy ways to prevent this. Slow bowls have built-in obstacles that force dogs to each much slower than they would uninhibited. They are inexpensive and make a world of difference for quick eaters.
If you want to go an even cheaper route, you could place a few toys or balls in their bowl that they must navigate through to get to their kibble.
If your dog is a speedy drinker, a useful trick is adding a few ice cubes to your pup’s water bowl.
Burping from Aging
If you see an increase in your dog’s belching, it could be because of their age. As dog’s age, their digestion slows down. So much wear and tear is placed on the esophagus over the years from food passing through it, that it leads to an increase in burping.
Eating in a Distorted Position
Eating in the wrong position could also lead to air being trapped in your dog’s esophagus. If possible, prevent your dog from crouching over while eating. Using a raised bowl is an easy fix for this.
Eating Foreign Objects
Dogs have a knack for getting into things they are not supposed to. Whether it be socks in your bottom drawer or random papers in the trash, dogs consume many things that have no business being digested.
When these foreign objects make their way into the digestive system, they tend to serve as intestinal obstructions. These obstructions can lead to gas buildup that could eventually make its way to your face when it finds an opening.
Brachycephalic Breeds
Brachycephalic dogs take in more air as they eat. They also take in more air when panting.
Brachycephalic is a term used to describe dogs with a short and wide skull with a pushed-in face. Breeds like pugs and bulldogs are examples of this type of breed.
Though we may love these features, they could contribute to gas build up in their digestive tract. This is the price you pay for having such a beautiful buddy.
Bacterial Fermentation (Poor Digestion)
Some dogs have trouble breaking down certain foods. When this happens, it causes the food to stay in the digestive tract longer than it should. This leads to a process known as bacterial fermentation. An unfortunate byproduct of this process is gas that leads to flatulence, as well as belching.
You Might Be Causing Your Dog to Burp in Your Face!
Now that you understand what’s causing the belching, you may be wondering, “Why is my dog directing their belches towards my face?”
Here are three things you could unintentionally be doing that are causing your dog to burp in your face.
Hugging Your Dog
When you embrace your dog with a hug, you may jolt some of the built-up gas in his or her digestive tract. Since they are already facing you, there is a strong likelihood you may be the external recipient of the gas.
They Come to You After Eating
Dogs are much more likely to burp right after eating. If your pup has a habit of finding you immediately after eating, you will probably receive more than kisses from him.
Burping Gets a Reaction
Dogs love attention. After belching in your face on accident a few times, they may realize that it gets your attention. If you separate yourself from your dog and don’t react to the burp, they’re less likely to continue doing it in your face.
Burping is a Good Thing
Though having your buddy belch in your face may seem unpleasant in the moment, it also may be a good sign. Dogs who have trouble relieving gas are much more prone to develop Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV).
GDV is a condition in which the opening of the stomach twists in a way that prevents anything from entering or leaving.
It also leads to poor circulation to other organs, potentially causing organ failure. This condition is extremely dangerous for dogs and is often onset by a buildup of gas in the stomach. Your buddy’s occasional burps could prevent this buildup from occurring.
Although burping is completely normal (and even healthy), it could also be a sign of something larger.
If you notice a significant increase in your dog’s belching, or if the belching is accompanied by symptoms such as regurgitation or diarrhea, it’s time to take them to the vet. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your buddy’s health. We want to keep them around for many post-meal belches in the future.
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