behavior

As a dog owner, you might find your best furry acting a little odd at times. Dogs can be strange little creatures but all their habits make perfect sense to them and they are usually nothing to worry about. The things they do can actually be them trying to tell you something so let's take a look at certain dog behaviors and what they mean. Why do dogs do these weird behaviors?

Yawn

The obvious reason why humans yawn is due to tiredness and while dogs do this too, there is another reason why they could be exhibiting this behavior. It is their way of saying that they have had enough of something and their patience is running out. They might display this when another dog who they see as annoying is trying to play with them. The yawning could also be your dog showing frustration or general stress. If you notice your dog is yawning, look at what is going on in the environment to try and figure out what is causing this sense of unease within them.

Biting their tail

Many people see a dog chasing or biting their tail as funny but that definitely isn't the case for them and it's not something that should be taken lightly either. It isn't a cute little habit and they are not trying to make you laugh, your dog is probably biting its tail due it being itchy or more commonly laden with parasites (usually fleas). Get your dog treated and the biting should clear itself up as a result.

Rolling on the ground

Dogs often roll on the ground and it can mean a number of different things. They could have an itch that they are trying to get rid of but often rolling on the ground is a cry for attention from their owners. They want to have some fun and/or affection. If your dog rolls on the ground, looks at you, gets up and then does it again - this is usually a big sign that they just want your attention, so give it to them! Rolling on the ground on several different textures could just feel good for the dog, particularly if it's a warm day and they are trying to cool down (grass is a popular one for this!)

Turning around before laying down

Your dog probably loves to lie down and relax after a hard day of eating treats and chasing cats, but you might notice that they turn around before doing so. You need to remember that dogs are evolved from wolves. Your dog might be doing this without even really thinking about it to check for any dangers behind them. Another reason why dogs turn around before making themselves comfortable is to make their territory. In some rare cases, it could be a sign of excessive compulsive disorder in your dog and if you feel this might be the case, you should take him/her to the vet.

Smelling other dogs butts

Going up to your fellow human and sniffing their butt if frowned upon, to say the least, but this seems a common type of behavior in dog world. This is actually one of the most normal things that dogs can do to each other and it is seen very often. As you probably know already, dogs have an amazing sense of smell and by sniffing the butt of another dog, they are simply gathering information about that dog and sussing them out. It is crazy how much information can be gathered by doing this including the diet of the other dog, their gender and even their emotional state.

Dry shake off

Dogs shake themselves when they are wet in order to dry off, but what reason does a dog have to shake in the exact same way when they are already dry? This is actually a common habit and is a way of them working off any anxiety that they are feeling. They are shaking off any stress that they might be feeling and they usually feel much better after they do it. Give your dog a pat after a shake off and tell him/her "nice shake-off!".

Licking lips

It is fairly obvious that when food is around, dogs lick their lips as a sign that they want some. However, what does it mean when a dog licks their lips when there is no grain of food in sight? Experts have said that dogs who lick their lips regularly are sending this as a calming signal. This is usually because they are worried about something that is going on in their environment. If they see another dog or even a person as a threat, even if no real threat is there, they will lick their lips to try and diffuse the situation. Of course, if your pooch is constantly licking their lips, they could be feeling unwell and experiencing something like nausea, or pain in their mouth.

Going crazy after a bath

After a bath, you might notice that your dog is exhibiting some strange behavior and this is pretty common with most pooches. This could involve spinning around in circles, biting at themselves and barking. While we love the smell of soap and shampoo, dogs, unfortunately, do not. They can smell these foreign scents on themselves after a bath and their reaction afterward is them trying to get the smell off them. If you find bathing your dog is a constant battle for this reason or their behavior when they are actually in the bath, try to do it only when really needed.

Now that you know a little more about the behavior of your dog, you should be able to understand their "secret language" a little bit more. Everything they do has a purpose, even if that does not seem blatantly obvious to you at the time. When they are doing something unusual, consider any medical reasons for doing so but also survey your environment to see if anything could be triggering them, either in a positive or negative way.