I was watching a dog show the other night. As each dog was brought before the judge, the dog was lifted onto a table so that the judge could examine it. When the dog was set back on the floor, its handler would take it for a brisk walk so that the judge could watch its gait.
Almost invariably when a dog was set on the floor, before setting off on its walk it would vigorously shake its head.
My question to the dope is: why the doggy head shake?
This is just my observation/guess but one of the things that happens to the dogs when they are up on the table is that they get their teeth and ears loooked at in a pretty rough manner. The dogs are trained to allow this handling without reacting, but once they are back on the floor, they know they are done with that portion of the judging procedure and they shake to sort of “reset” everything.
They’re thinking “I can’t believe they’re making me go through all this foolishness” and then they shake their heads. 
Right. They’re putting everything back in place.
I kept wondering the same thing as I watched the show so I knew just what your question was about. There I was, wallowing in ignorance, until you came along and asked. Thanks.
Makes sense. The first thing I do after leaving a barber shop is run my hands through my hair and adjust my shirt.
So, what do you ask for when you enter the barbers?
While I appreciate everyones answers, I was hoping for a factual answer from some one with knowledge of canine psychology. I’ll keep googling and in the meanwhile maybe an expert will drop by. Thanks for your attention y’all.
“Shaking” is a calming signal, along with yawning, stretching, etc., at least according to my dog’s new obedience school.
Here is a site which refers to the woman who I believe pioneered studies of canine body language / calming signals, Turid Rugass.
Does this help?
Whoa. Those “calming signals” cover just about the whole range of dog behaviour. Is there any time a dog doesn’t want a human to calm down? If it’s moving it wants you to calm down, if it’s standing still it wants you to calm down. wtf?
You got your factual answer, my friend. It’s a kind of preening, like a bird messing with it’s feathers. Those people messing with them disturbs the usual lay of their hair and the way their ears hang. So they shake to put everything back where it belongs. Dogs will do the same thing after a good rub down or petting session with their people. While they truly enjoy the attention, they want things back to normal afterward. Like when Mom ruffled your hair when you were little.
Any more information is going to involve a Debate. 
I’d just like to address** ninetypercent’s ** comment.
Clearly, these signals have to be taken in context. You need to observe your dog, figure out what his/her “signals” are and proceed accordingly.
For example - if your dog yawns at 11:00 p.m. … he’s just tired and ready for bed. If it yawns when you have company over, people he’s never met before, and it’s 2:00 in the afternoon … he’s probably a little anxious about it and he’s trying to calm himself down, because he’s more than likely not tired.
My dog’s calming signals are stretching, yawning, shaking itself off, and pacing. All of these are signals to me that she is overstimulated and is doing what she can to (a) calm herself down, and (b) communicate to the “pack” (i.e. everyone around her) that she is agitated about something.
The theory is that dogs communicate with their “pack” through this body language, since they cannot talk. There are many signals that are universal to dogs, both domestic and wild - like bowing, bum-sniffing, puppy posturing, etc.
I would encourage anyone who’s interested in their dog’s behaviour to consider these signals and to try to figure out what THEIR particular pet is trying to tell them. Of course, like anything, you can take what you like and what works for you, and leave the rest.
My $0.02 worth.
S.
From my experience showing and training dogs…
All my conformation dogs (especially dogs that are “tabled” for examination) tend to shake after having been gone over by a judge. Judges are usually very gentle, but they do muss up the fluff, so to speak. In some breeds, they’ll check the length of the ear by bringing the tip of the ear up against the corner of the eye, or the muzzle. They’ll check the dog’s throat for throatiness in some breeds. In all dogs, they’ll feel the shoulders to check the layback… go down a dog’s side, and check the hips, and the rear angulation…
If you pay close attention, you’ll find a lot of dogs shake themselves after being petted, or brushed. Same thing here. I don’t think it’s a release response or a relaxation cue - it’s more of a “righto, let’s put the eyebrows where they belong… Ookay. Let’s go down n’ back.”
I have seen some handlers (especially of chalked terriers - don’t get me started on chalking… ugh…) teach westies to shake on command when they are taken off the table. If they don’t, their coat will be flat where the judge touched it, and the rest will be niiiiice and spiky and spunky. When they shake, it puts stuff back into place. You’ll never see a poodle with a huge topknot shake, though… maybe they’re afraid their heads will fall off if they do… 
Because they can!!
Aw, come on! You just know someone had to say that, didn’t you?!
I think it must be a Korean barber’s.
In a long-ago beach movie, in what may have been his last role, Buster Keaton played an old American Indian tracker. He was on somebody’s trail, and he wet his index finger in his mouth, and held it up in the wind. The other guy asked him why he did that. “Me like the sensation,” he said.
I think there’s a lesson about the dogs in there, somewhere.
Damn. Now you got me thinking about sex!
