Dogs Offer us the World
In addition to their loyal companionship, dogs provide hours of entertainment you’d have to pay good money for if it came out of Hollywood. Some of it is evolutionary in cause and other behaviors, often the more disturbing ones, may signal a health issue.
Bedtime Rituals
Your dog circles multiple times before lying down to nap or sleep for the night. Is he making sure no one’s following him? Checking that his tail is still there? Actually, this is one of those “in the DNA” behaviors. In the wild, dogs not only flattened the grass before lying in it for comfort, it also allowed them to make sure no creepy crawlers were around. Your domesticated dog with an indoor lush bed made just for him simply does it because of genetics.
Similarly, if your dog seems to dig into his bedding each night before settling down, this is an evolutionary leftover from their wild ancestors who would dig to a covered layer of earth for a cooler bed. Some did it to mark territory with the sweat glands in their paws.
Lots of Sniffing Going On
It has to be said: dogs sniff each others’ behinds like humans shake hands. It’s a way of getting to know another dog. With their heightened sense of smell, dogs can learn quite a lot from a good sniff, including the gender, diet, overall health, and even the dog’s current state of mind.
Dogs also take their time sniffing the ground before they decide to urinate. Again, because of their incredible ability to smell, dogs use urination as a means of communicating. They are taking in the scents left by other animals and may even be searching for a “clean” spot to leave their own mark and make a statement.
Eating Habits
No one wants to admit that their dog eats poop, but there are several sane explanations for the behavior. Evolutionarily, dogs ate feces to eliminate their scent from predators. Domestic dogs may do it out of boredom, to keep their living area clean or because of nutritional deficiencies. Contact your veterinarian if you’re concerned about this behavior in your dog.
Grass eating is believed to help a dog vomit when he feels nauseous. Some believe dogs just like the taste and vomit if they overindulge. It’s harmless unless your dog is exhibiting other signs of irritations at the same time. Then it’s time to see the vet.