People are from Mars, are dogs from Venus?
Dogs seemingly do some weird things sometimes. From following you to the bathroom, to chasing their tails, and everything in between, we have explanations for you. But in order to comprehend their actions, we have to get into their psyche. So as you read on further, remember, think dog!
First let’s tackle the above mentioned oddity, why do dogs follow us to the bathroom? Firstly, dogs have different social boundaries. They are perfectly at ease in this situation, they would think it odd that we don’t feel so comfortable. What’s more, you can rest assured that the chances are, this is actually a sign of love, they’re interested in what you’re up to and want to be where you are. So you can feel flattered, honestly!
Love can make anyone do strange things so let’s consider some of the other ways your dog shows you affection, here are our top five:
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Your dog boils over with excitement when you arrive home. They love you, they want to be with you, so this surely can’t come as a surprise…
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They lick your face. Okay so this is pretty unhygienic, especially if they have a tendency for coprophagia (read on to learn about that term, but you might be able to guess!), but it truly is a sign that you are their human.
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It’s all about the eye contact. Eye contact can be a complex thing, staring can mean that a dog is anxious or on the verge of aggression. Anyone who has a dog who gives them that kind of soft, relaxed eye contact knows exactly what the ‘look of love’ looks like, you know who you are, you lucky things.
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Simultaneous yawning. One study found that some dogs mimic their loved ones in this way, they yawn when we do. Who’d have thought it?
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Remaining calm when you leave them. Sounds counterintuitive doesn’t it? If they love you, why are they okay with you leaving them? Some scientists think that this displays a level of trust. If your dog is relaxed when you leave them, you are great parents, they know you’ll return, the bond is strong.
As lovely as all this talk of love is, what about the other weird things dogs do? Let’s delve deeper into those.
We mentioned the term ‘coprophagia’ earlier. Well, this means to eat poo. As unpleasant as this is, if your dogs does it, you’d probably like to know why. For some, it is a learned behaviour. Whelping bitches will ‘clean up’ after their offspring to keep a clean environment. Some simply learn this from their mother and never lose the habit. Others however might be lacking important nutrients in their diet or their food might simply not be satiating them. Either way, it’s worth discussing this with one of our vets just to be sure.
Ever seen your dog spinning in circles in their bed before settling down? This is apparently to do with the inherent desire to create a safe and comfy ‘nest’. It looks to us like they’re just fussy when it comes to comfort!
Dogs chasing their tail is a classic comedy sight, many dogs do it at some point in their lives. Interestingly, there are numerous reasons a dog might do this, ranging from sheer intrigue to boredom, and from a flea infestation to compulsive disorder.
With so many potential causes of this bizarre behaviour, if your dog does it repeatedly, and especially with a kind of distracted frenzy about them, best get it checked out by the professionals.
What about head tilting? Are there certain words that get your dog’s head tilting from side to side? This unbelievably cute action actually serves a purpose, they are trying to hear you better. They are adjusting their ear pinna (the bits that flap in the wind) so that they may hear you as best as possible. ‘Did you really say walkies?’
These are just some of the more common oddities we see in our beloved canines, each dog has their own personality and we have no doubt they surprise you daily with the funny things that they do. So provided they are well both physically and mentally, enjoy delving into your dog’s mind – you could learn a lot about them.