Does rubbing a dog's nose in circles hurt them or cause pain?

Hi Sharn! Oh no, it's not good that Willow is in pain from the burn! Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I would apply a cold compress to her nose for 10-15 minutes, such as a bag of frozen veggies, but if she won't let you touch it, it's clearly very painful to her. I would have her seen by a vet even if she will let you apply the cold compress. This burn needs to be evaluated and treated by a vet. I would take her into one as soon as possible. Good luck, I hope this helps!

She may have been exposed to something that is making her itchy, a new cleaner in your house or something like that. I suggest giving her a bath with cool water and a mild dog shampoo, making sure to rinse her very thoroughly. If this doesn't help or if she starts rubbing again, I would get her in to see your vet to determine wi there is something else causing her discomfort.

Being boarded can be a stressful situation for dogs. I would ask the kennel if the staff noted him rubbing his nose. It is very common for them to run their noses on the bars or bottom of wired cages/crates. This may have been stress related, excitement related (seeing another dog), or boredom related (not getting as much exercise as usual). It can also happen if they flip bowls/bedding with their nose. For nose rubbers it is best to find a boarding situation with less opportunity for this to happen. Like asking for runs with glass doors and not wire crates/cages and facilities that offer some outdoor space or more exercise time. Hopefully the area will not scar but it could take some time for the pigment to reappear. It may not look quite the same as the surrounding tissue. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

This is a difficult place to put anything on, because it will just be licked off. From what I'm seeing in the picture, it is a very minor abrasion, so I would not be to worried about it getting any worse. For now, it's best to just keep the wound clean by wiping it with warm water occasionally. This should be completely healed within the next two weeks.

Oh my! No, please don't rub your puppy's nose in her accidents - you're correct that this is cruel, and will not help at all with teaching her what you want her to do. We actually have a great article on the PetCoach site with specific instructions for housetraining puppies - you can find it here: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining/0 If you still have some questions after reading the article, feel free to post again - we will be happy to try and help! :)

It's difficult to say 100% from the picture, but I don't see signs of infection or hair loss from this photo. If he's only rubbing on you it may just be his way of trying to get attention. If Bruno is rubbing his muzzle on furniture, carpet, scratching with his paws then he may have an allergy or irritation that needs to be addressed. But if it is only rubbing or nozzling against you I strongly suspect it's a behavior trying to get your attention. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Dry skin and loss of hair like that can sometimes happen if your dog likes to dig. Over time a callus can form that may cause a similar appearance. That said, with any new growth, it's always best to have it checked by your vet to rule out other causes such as skin or fungal infections, tumors/cancers, allergies, or parasites. Your vet can take a skin scraping of the affected area to be tested or looked at under a microscope. In the meantime, keeping the area clean and dry and keeping Beasley from rubbing it (or digging) may help reduce irritation.