Dog's behaviour

Dogs have fair share of behaviour to other animals that are truly baffling. As humans, it’s hard for us to make sense of many dog’s body language and social cues. Our pet dogs' desire to sniff butts, hump legs, and chase their own tails just doesn't make sense to us.

Tail chasing

This amusing behaviour of dogs is to expend their excess energy. No medical issues are normally connected with it, but if your dog does this constantly, then it might have anal gland problems or flea allergy dermatitis. Chasing one's tail is also called whirling, this is quite natural behaviour often seen among different species of predators. We often wonder what puppies would do if they caught their tails. One snap of the teeth is probably enough to teach most puppies that their tails are indeed attached to their bodies. Watching a puppy chase its tail can be very funny. If you laugh and give your puppy attention when it chases its tail, your puppy may chase its tail more often when it wants more attention from you. Whether they learn that their tails are always going to be following them around or they just don't play as much anymore, older dogs tend not to chase their tails like puppies do. When older dogs chase their tails, it can be a sign that a trip to the veterinarian might be a good idea. For example, older dogs might chase their tails if they have fleas or worms. Tail chasing in older dogs can also be a sign of a behavioral problem. Like humans, dogs can develop compulsive disorders. Sometimes these disorders cause dogs to chew or lick themselves. In other cases, they can cause them to chase their tails for no apparent reason.

Eating feces

The habit is just plain gross. Reasons may vary behind Coprophagia (the medical term for consuming feces). She does so, maybe because she is hungry or could be because she likes the taste and the smell. It’s possible that she is missing key nutrients from her diet. She might just think it's fun. It’s definitely not a behaviour humans want to dwell on. Eating feces is normal with many different animal species. In dogs, it is not part of the digestive process, but it is a normal cleaning behaviour in mother dogs with pups. Some dogs eat stool even without puppies in a misguided attempt to clean either the yard or their kennel. This can easily turn into a habit. Another reason can be malnourished dogs who lack nutrients in their diet or are unable to digest the nutrients in their food may resort to eating partially digested food in poop in order to meet their nutritional needs. Consult your vet about the best diet for your dog, and also to rule out any existing medical problem associated with coprophagia, the scientific name for the act of dogs eating their own or other animals’ feces.

Howling

Wait, what! We thought wolves howl, but yes, dogs howl too at times. Another strange way of behaviour. Since wolves and dogs share the same ancestor, it could be just a behaviour passed on from their ancestral cousins. According to the behaviorists, howling is instinctively rewarding and necessary for dogs. Howling is one of many forms of vocal communication used by dogs. Dogs howl to attract attention, to make contact with others and to announce their presence. Some dogs also howl in response to high-pitched sounds, such as emergency vehicle sirens or musical instruments.

Humping

Dogs humping objects, toys, and other dogs does not always mean sexual behaviour. The dog humps because he is excited and seeking attention. This behavior could bring quite an embarrassment when the dog does it to you that is why you can always use toys to redirect your dog. Toys always work well. Dogs often mount and hump their littermates, other playmates, people, and toys. Some experts believe that this behavior functions as practice for future sexual encounters. As puppies reach sexual maturity, they start to mount other dogs in sexual contexts. Often, during courtship, females in heat mount and hump their male “suitors.” Female dogs also commonly mount and hump other females when one or both are in heat.

Head tilting

Your dog's eyes always trained(?) on you with her head tilt a little. Chances are, she is hoping you are going to give her a treat. But sometimes her direct eye contact means threatening. She is annoyed for some good reason and it's time you pamper her. Even though dogs can hear frequencies we can’t, they’re actually not as good as humans at finding out where a sound is coming from. Some experts believe that when a dog tilts its head, it’s trying to adjust the pinnae, or outer ears, to better detect where a sound is coming from. So when you’re making a weird noise, your dog might be thinking, “That’s weird. I better find out if that sound is really coming from my human.”

Sniffing other dog's butt

This is dog’s way of saying ‘’hello, nice to meet you’’, to another dog. In the human world, this behaviour can land one in jail, but in dog's world this is a socially acceptable form of greeting.