{"id":864,"date":"2018-06-07T11:46:03","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T18:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/?p=864"},"modified":"2025-05-11T23:11:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T06:11:48","slug":"the-reasons-behind-your-dogs-interesting-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/the-reasons-behind-your-dogs-interesting-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"The Reasons Behind Your Dog’s Interesting Habits"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dogs are pretty interesting creatures, but they’ve got some weird habits. Here’s what science says about a few of the strangest.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Original Article\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>by\u00a0R.J. Wilson<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Many dog behaviors are downright baffling. We\u2019ve all noticed our canine friends chasing their tails, barking at the mailman, or hiding when a thunderstorm rolls in. It\u2019s kind of weird.<\/p>\n

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Then there\u2019s their strange, humanlike qualities, like their seeming desire to love and be loved or their shame after seeing how mad you are that they\u2019ve used your favorite shoes as a toilet.<\/p>\n

What is a dog\u2019s reality? What motivates him to chase his tail, booty-scoot, or kiss you directly on the mouth? Can he recognize himself in a mirror? Does he love you or does he just want your leftover steak tips? These questions have driven the research of the Duke Canine Cognition Center for the past 20 years.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Dogs] have a rich understanding of their world, which allows them to be flexible problem solvers,\u201d\u00a0the center\u2019s website says<\/a>. \u201cSome of their skills even resemble those we see in young children.\u201d<\/p>\n

While it would be easy to attribute dog quirks to their wild roots, the truth is that dog behavior is a fascinating mixture of these ancestral tendencies and human socializing. If you want a better understanding of your four-legged friend, read on.<\/p>\n

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1. Howling<\/h2>\n

As you might have guessed, howling is an evolutionary trait.\u00a0Wolves, dogs\u2019 canine brethren, howl\u00a0to tell other members of their packs where they are, to mark their territory, or for social reasons. It\u2019s one way to say, \u201cI\u2019m here, so consider yourself warned.\u201d<\/p>\n

But domesticated dogs don\u2019t really\u00a0need<\/em>\u00a0to howl. It\u2019s more of a residual instinct, and the truth is, we\u2019re\u00a0not entirely sure\u00a0why the behavior has stuck around. But, as the\u00a0American Kennel Club notes, \u201cWhether your dog is howling for friends, barking for fun, or baying during the hunt, it\u2019s not so important to ask why they are doing it, but rather to listen [to] what your dog is trying to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The American Kennel Club lists a number of possible reasons why your dog might be howling. Some motivations, they say, are pretty straightforward: your dog wants attention, your dog wants to let you know you\u2019re in danger, your dog wants to communicate with other dogs, or your dog wants to respond to high-pitched noises like sirens.<\/p>\n

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“Dogs, like kids, often find any attention rewarding\u2014even if it\u2019s negative attention.”<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

But there are a few categories of howls that may require some intervention or further investigation: separation anxiety howls often paired with other repetitive and potentially destructive behaviors, medical condition howls that indicate some kind of injury or illness, and excessive noise-response howls that annoy the crap out of you and your neighbors.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ruled out loneliness and depression (please play with your dog!) and injury, you might need to show some tough love by simply refusing to engage with attention-seeking howling. \u201cTo avoid accidentally rewarding your dog when he howls, totally ignore him as soon as he starts making noise,\u201d\u00a0advises WebMD<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t look at him, touch him or speak to him. Don\u2019t try to scold him either. Dogs, like kids, often find any attention rewarding\u2014even if it\u2019s negative attention. So scolding your dog might make his howling behavior worse! Just pretend your dog is invisible. If you find it difficult to do this, try folding your arms across your chest and turning away from him completely.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Chasing Their Tails<\/h2>\n

Puppies start chasing their tails for the exact reason that you think they do: They\u2019re confused.<\/p>\n

Your little one might not realize that his tail is a part of his body. \u201cPups consider the tail as a toy rather than anatomy,\u201d Lynn Buzhardt, doctor of veterinary medicine, wrote for\u00a0VCA Animal Hospitals<\/a>. \u201cYouthful tail chasing is usually a passing phase that doesn\u2019t require intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n

But if you reward your pupper (by laughing, for instance) when he\u2019s on tail patrol, you might reinforce the behavior, and it could continue as he ages. The dog may start chasing its tail in an effort to draw your attention. \u201cTail chasing is an invitation \u2026 for you to take notice and play with him,\u201d wrote Buzhardt. \u201cObviously he prefers that you chuckle at his antics, but even scolding qualifies as attention so a reprimand serves as positive reinforcement of the behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be sure, also, that you\u2019re spending enough time socializing with and exercising your dear doge, as the restlessness that brings on behaviors like tail chasing can be brought on by too much time spent alone and unstimulated in tight quarters. \u201cSome dogs weary of lying on the sofa staring at four walls,\u201d wrote Buzhardt.<\/p>\n

Dogs can also begin chasing their tails for medical reasons, so if a dog suddenly develops this behavior, Buzhardt advises scheduling a visit to the vet. \u201cDogs will also chase their tails when they are infested with intestinal parasites like tape worms that migrate out the rectum,\u201d Buzhardt warned. That fervent donut-ing might have more to do with a dog\u2019s attempt to itch its booty because of fleas or food allergies. \u201cIn addition, discomfort in the tail area due to impacted anal glands or neurological problems affecting the caudal spine often cause dogs to nip at their tails.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, your dog may have OCD. Yes, you read that right.\u00a0A study<\/a>\u00a0published in the research journal\u00a0PLOS ONE<\/em>\u00a0revealed that some of the same mechanisms that drive human obsessive compulsive disorders, including genetic and environmental factors, might be to blame for compulsive behaviors in your dog like the chasing of lights, shadows, or their own tails.<\/p>\n

3. Barking at Reflections<\/h2>\n

Dogs aren\u2019t capable of recognizing themselves in the mirror\u2014that\u2019s why puppies often mistake their mirror images for other puppies. As they age, however, they learn to ignore their reflections. We know, it\u2019s sad to see this silly behavior go, but since a reflection is just a free-floating waste of time not attached to anything else your doggo can make sense of, know that when he leaves the mirror, he\u2019s making an adult<\/p>\n

As Marc Bekoff points out in his book,\u00a0Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed<\/em>, \u201cOdors and sounds are very important in the worlds of many animals.\u201d Sometimes these are the primary ways through which they make sense of their worlds. \u201cMany mammals differentiate between their own and others\u2019 urine and glandular secretions, and many birds know their own and others\u2019 songs,\u201d for example.<\/p>\n

Sick of seeing your dog chat with himself? Want him to, say, chat with you? Good for a lonely lunch break or a cross-country vacation,\u00a0PetChatz HD<\/a>\u00a0allows for two-way audio and video communication between you and your dog. It also allows you to reward them for entertaining by dispensing a treat.<\/p>\n

4. Walking in Circles Before Lying Down<\/h2>\n

This behavior is another holdover from ancient canines. Wild dogs didn\u2019t have access to all the cushioning (or cushiness) of modern house life, so they had to make their doggy beds from the earth, stamping down tall grasses and whatever else was in their way.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis behavior was hard-wired into the dog\u2019s ancestors as a way to build a safe \u2018nest,’\u201d\u00a0Leslie Irvine<\/a>, a sociologist who specializes in the roles of animals in society,\u00a0toldLiveScience<\/em><\/a>. \u201cIn the wild, the circling would flatten grasses or snow and would drive out any snakes or large insects. I have also heard that circling the area and thus flattening it leaves a visible sign to other dogs that this territory has been claimed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some dogs will also try to \u201cdig\u201d at cushions or pillows, owing to the same instinct; their ancestors would dig to create comfy napping places or dens for raising their young. \u201cSleeping in a den protects the young pups from extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) and from predators,\u201d according to\u00a0WebMD<\/a>. \u201cOur pet dogs share the desire to sleep in and under things that resemble a den. They often dig at the ground and circle before lying down, as though they\u2019re trying to make a softer resting place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thankfully, you can give your dog a nice, comfortable place to lie down with thisorthopedic pet bed<\/a>\u2014no digging required. You won\u2019t be mad at the removable, machine-washable cover.<\/p>\n

5. Sitting on Your Feet\u00a0(And Other Weird Ways Your Dog Tries to Touch You)<\/h2>\n

Ever wondered why your dog sits (or stands) on your feet? What about why, during a walk, she hugs your legs with her body, making you almost you trip over her? Or the thing she does (even during the hot summer nights!) where she basically tries to sleep on top of you like a living dog comforter\u2014why?<\/p>\n

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“\u2026 dogs\u2014pack animals that they are\u2014are fond of close contact as a safety measure, and you\u2019ve got a great rationale for your dog\u2019s lean-on-a-leg approach to life.”<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cSome animal behavior authorities would have you believe your dog is trying to dominate you with her weight,\u201d said Patty Khuly, VMD,\u00a0in a video for vetstreet.com<\/a>. \u201cOthers might say you\u2019re being manipulated by a poorly socialized, misbehaving suck-up who knows just how to push your buttons.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, said Khuly, that\u2019s probably not true. \u201cIn most cases, this is affection-seeking behavior, plain and simple. Dogs love to cuddle. And if the person you want to cuddle with is always sitting and standing, then cuddling takes the form of leaning on her or sitting on her shoes as she taps away at the keyboards or whatnot.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also, Khuly said, an element of instinctual safety-seeking. \u201cAdd [dogs\u2019 love of cuddles] to the fact that dogs\u2014pack animals that they are\u2014are fond of close contact as a safety measure, and you\u2019ve got a great rationale for your dog\u2019s lean-on-a-leg approach to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, it\u2019s adorable; your dog is awesome.<\/p>\n

6. The Old Booty-Scoot<\/h2>\n

As funny as it may look, if your dog sits down on the carpet and skootches herself along, it might be time for a trip to the groomer\u2014or even the vet. This butt-scratching behavior suggests that your dog has an itchy backside.<\/p>\n

That may be a sign of\u00a0a health problem<\/a>. More likely, it\u2019s just an unruptured gland or two in the anus, which, if you remember from the tail-chasing section, is a thing that dogs have. Not to get too gross, but your dog has a pair of glands that give her poop a little special something. We\u2019re tempted to call it \u201cflavor,\u201d but that is sick. It\u2019s more of an odor, which is still sick.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn dogs, [these] sacs are considered vestigial, sort of like the human appendix,\u201d wrote Denise Flaim for the\u00a0Whole Dog Journal<\/a><\/em>. \u201cWhen marking and defending boundaries were crucial for canine survival, they likely had a key role, adding a dog\u2019s unique and identifying scent to his excrement; today, salutatory butt-sniffing might very well be an evolutionary remnant of that territorial imperative. Another theory is that the liquid in the \u2026 sacs lubricates hard stool, making it easier for the dog to eliminate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes these glands get clogged and fill up with that special ingredient. That\u2019s when some dogs will take to scooting along the floor liked little furry hoverboards. That means it\u2019s time for a trip to the groomer, who might be able to express those glands, or to the veterinarian, who can tell you if there\u2019s a bigger problem at play. Either way, don\u2019t just take video for your social media feed. That animal is suffering!<\/p>\n

7. Doggy Kisses<\/h2>\n

If a random dog runs up and starts tonguing your face, full-slobber, you\u2019re more likely to think it\u2019s gross than cute. But when your own dog does the same thing, you\u2019re thrilled to get a \u201ckiss.\u201d<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s the motivation behind these face-licking (sometimes right-in-the-mouth) smooches? There are a few possible explanations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most obvious reason for this behavior is that it\u2019s a display of dog-like submission,\u201d Khuly wrote in an article for the\u00a0Miami Herald<\/a><\/em>. \u201cDogs lick each others\u2019 faces, particularly around the mouth, by way of indicating that they\u2019re of a lower social status. These social cues are important for dogs in a pack setting to help establish a solid social structure with a minimum of pack-destabilizing strife.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, dog mothers lick their babies for social and hygienic purposes. Given that dog-human relationships often mimic pack, or familial, ties, it computes that these behaviors would carry over, wrote Khuly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also been proposed that in their long relationship with humans (at least 10,000 years), dogs have learned that licking equals affection, an act that buys them more of the same (and often happens in association with food),\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

Love the kisses but hate dog breath? Try some of these\u00a0breath-freshening dog treats<\/a>.<\/p>\n

8. The Stare-Bear<\/h2>\n

Does your fuzzy-faced best friend sit and stare directly at you with a heartbreakingly earnest expression on his face? If so, you\u2019re a lucky pet owner. That expression of longing is exactly what it looks like. (Be careful if a dog gives you what some call the\u00a0\u201chard stare,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0however, since eye contact can be a sign of aggression.)<\/p>\n

Oxytocin<\/a>, sometimes called the \u201clove hormone\u201d or the \u201ccuddle hormone,\u201d is well-known for its role in forging connections between people. The neuropeptide is\u00a0released<\/a>\u00a0while holding hands with someone you love and breastfeeding, just to name a couple bonding activities. But could oxytocin be responsible for interspecies bonding\u2014and could the stare-bear play a role?<\/p>\n

As Khuly mentioned, researchers believe that humans have made an impact on the evolution of dogs. Some hypothesize that dogs have evolved in ways that facilitate their bonds with humans\u2014and that\u2019s unique.<\/p>\n

\u201cComparisons of humans and dogs before and after they interact with each other have revealed notable increases in circulating oxytocin \u2026 in both species,\u201d Evan L. MacLean and Brian Hare, evolutionary anthropologists and researchers at the Duke Canine Cognition Center, wrote in\u00a0Science Magazine<\/a><\/em>. \u201cIn addition, exogenous administration of oxytocin causes dogs to initiate more social contact with other dogs and humans, and allows dogs to tune into human social cues even more faithfully.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThese findings suggest not only an interspecies effect of oxytocin, but also the exciting possibility of a feedback loop.\u201d That feedback loop is the ability for dogs and humans to pump up each other\u2019s \u201clove hormone,\u201d which is exactly what\u2019s seen when mothers and babies are bonding.<\/p>\n

MacLean and Hare referenced\u00a0a 2015 study<\/a>\u00a0that examined this notion of a special human-dog oxytocin feedback loop\u2014and the role staring has in promoting it. Researchers observed 30-minute interactions between people and their pets. What they found was that after prolonged eye contact between participants and their dogs, oxytocin concentrations in\u00a0both<\/em>\u00a0participants increased, confirming that oxytocin plays a big role in those long, tender stares between dogs and their humans.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The researchers] demonstrated that dog owners whose dogs gazed at them the most had the largest change in urinary oxytocin after interacting with their canine companions,\u201d wrote MacLean and Hare. \u201cTheir dogs, in return, experienced a similar oxytocin increase, the magnitude of which correlated with that of the owner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interestingly, wolves and the owners who raised them did not show the same results. The researchers concluded that this biological mechanism for bonding with people was a unique trait in dogs\u2014a result of evolutionary adaptations brought on by their relationships with humans.<\/p>\n

Not everyone agrees<\/a>\u00a0with this conclusion. But, programmed by nature to love us or not, we love dogs and all the wacky things they do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dogs are pretty interesting creatures, but they’ve got some weird habits. Here’s what science says about a few of the strangest. Original Article\u00a0\u00a0by\u00a0R.J. Wilson Many dog behaviors are downright baffling. We\u2019ve all noticed our canine friends chasing their tails, barking at the mailman, or hiding when a thunderstorm rolls in. It\u2019s kind of weird. Then…<\/p>\n

Read More <\/i><\/b><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":264,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28369],"tags":[203,27169,27168,27170],"class_list":["post-864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fun-dog-stuff","tag-dog-behavior","tag-dog-circling","tag-dog-howling","tag-dog-kisses"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/264"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=864"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1961,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864\/revisions\/1961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/san-gabriel-valley-dog-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}