we know you really love your dogs but
there are times when they behave in ways
you don't understand and sometimes your
dog's behavior may be amusing
embarrassing or just needs to be
captured on video on that note let's
talk about the 21 things dogs do and the
meaning behind them number 21 why dogs
kick when you scratch their belly have
you ever noticed that when you scratch
your dog's belly they start kicking
their back leg this movement is an
involuntary reaction called scratch
reflex when you scratch a dog's belly
you activate the nerves under the skin
that are connected to their spinal cord
these nerves send a message to your
dog's leg muscles to kick and twitch in
an attempt to get rid of an irritant
this is what causes a dog's leg to start
involuntarily jerking
number 20. why dogs kick their feet
after pooping while it may look like
your dog is trying to cover up its urine
and feces it isn't by scratching the
ground your dog is releasing the
pheromones located in the scent glands
of its feet this is the main way your
dog marks its territory your dog wants
the other dogs to know that this is his
area and he is an alpha dog and while
you think that your dog might be
sniffing another dog's poop they are
actually sniffing the pheromones another
dog has left behind from kicking the
dirt this is a unique form of
communication where your dog will tell
another dog if they sense danger or even
let them know about their sexual
availability
number 19 why dogs drag their butts on
the floor
this one isn't so humorous and it
shouldn't be embarrassing although it
may seem so at the time your dog
dragging their bottom on the ground is
also known as scooting and it's almost
always a sign that something is
irritating your dog like infection
inflammation or worms more often than
not this irritation has to do with anal
sac problems and while humans can't
really relate to it dogs have anal sacks
located on both sides of their rear end
that contain a foul fishy smelling
liquid these are internal organs which a
dog uses to communicate with other dogs
these anal sacs can become blocked
inflamed or abscessed
this is why dogs start scooting it is
their attempt to relieve the pain and
discomfort your dog may also try to lick
the affected area in order to feel
better
number 18. why dogs hump
a dog may start humping your leg or the
leg of a guest in your home how awkward
is that and what is the meaning behind
it often times it's not what you think
in general dogs hump something to
establish their territory even a stuffed
animal so when dogs hump this is not
necessarily a sexual activity they just
want to show you your guest another dog
or a teddy bear which pet rules the
house sometimes humping is a sign that
the dog is overexcited seeking attention
or trying to relieve some anxiety they
also hump to release energy and although
people generally associate dog humping
with male dogs female dogs do it too
let's put it this way if your dog is
humping the leg of one of your guests it
could just be their way of greeting them
in order to establish their dominance if
you feel embarrassed by this behavior
you can distract your dog with a toy
number 17 why dogs poop along a
north-south axis
yep you heard that right if you've ever
wondered why your dog seems to do a
million circles and then poop facing the
same direction each time this is why
after a two-year study involving 70 dogs
it was found that dogs disregard
personal preference and prefer to poop
facing the north-south magnetic axis the
experiment involved 37 different breeds
5582 urinations and 1800
defecations dogs tune into the magnetic
fields of the earth and plan their bowel
movements accordingly so the next time
you walk your dog it might be a good
idea to take a compass
number 16. why dogs twitch in their
sleep
dogs dream during the rem stage of sleep
and those twitches are responses to
whatever's happening in their dreams
number 15
showing empathy
dogs can sense when you are sad or upset
they show empathy to comfort you when
you are in distress
number 14 sleeping on your clothes
if your dog sleeps on your clothes or in
your bed it means they love you your
clothing and bed have your scent on them
and dogs always want to feel closer to
you
number 13. sitting on your feet
dogs lay or sit on your feet as a sign
of marking their territory they are
simply telling other dogs this owner is
mine dogs also sit on your feet to show
you affection just as you would choose
to sit next to a friend or a loved one
number 12 staring at you so intensely
dogs stare at you for lots of reasons
more often than not dogs stare to get
signals as to what is happening next
essentially they are waiting for us to
do something that will impact them like
picking up the leash to take them for a
walk or to perform a specific command
like six and earn a reward dogs also
stare to manipulate their owners to get
what they want this is a common scenario
with begging at the dinner table of
course plenty of a dog stare is simply
out of an expression of love
number 11 squinting their eyes
dogs squint their eyes to indicate
peaceful intentions if your dog squints
their eyes when they look at you they
are expressing their love and desire for
your attention dog squinted eyes also
indicate that they are not at all
interested in rough play or even a hint
of aggression
number 10 rolling on their back in the
grass
dogs roll in the grass for a lot of
reasons they could be scratching an itch
or attempting to change their own body
sense what smells good to us may smell
unpleasant to our dogs for example the
smell of scented shampoos on dog's fur
may send them running outside to roll on
the stinkiest thing they can find
another reason your dog may roll in the
grass is to mark their territory or
deposit their scent by rubbing their
scent off on an area like a carpet or a
new dog bed they are marking it as
theirs interestingly enough rolling on
grass is also an instinctual behavior
hearkening back to the days when your
dog's wild ancestors would mask their
scent to sneak up on prey wolves for
example have been observed rolling in
the droppings of plant-eating animals or
animal carcasses to cover up their own
scent during the hunt this is why you
may notice that your dog smells the
ground before they roll around on it
finally your dog may roll in the grass
simply because it feels good
number nine hunching over a hunched over
posture in dogs can be seen when they
are fearful and feeling particularly
vulnerable by hunching over dogs try to
make themselves small almost wishing to
become invisible dogs also hunch over
when they are abused attacked or scolded
number eight why dogs lick you
dogs may lick you for a lot of reasons
they may want to show you affection and
love they may even want to groom you to
show that they care about your
well-being or they may simply enjoy the
taste of your salty skin however your
dog's licking behavior could be part of
its survival instinct too for example
when wolves return to their pups after a
meal they regurgitate meat from the hunt
the pups too young to hunt on their own
will lick the meat from around their
mother's mouth it is believed by some
that this licking behavior has been
passed down in the dna causing dogs to
instinctively do it sometimes licking
behavior gets reinforced by a person's
reactions like laughing smiling or
petting your dog will feel rewarded and
encouraged by any kind of attention
number seven
urine marking
some dogs sent mark by urinating small
amounts on vertical surfaces usually
while raising a leg dogs use their urine
to mark areas they consider to be theirs
marking their territory lets other dogs
know that they are present urine also
signifies the reproductive status of the
dog and their ranking both male and
female dogs can urine mark dogs who
aren't neutered or spayed are more
likely to mark than those who are number
six fuzzy bagel
if your dog tucks its paws beneath
itself and curls up so that its head
rests on its tail it means that your dog
might be trying to conserve body heat
and provide protection to the
fundamental parts of its body it's the
most common sleeping position for
animals in the wild too as it helps
conserve warmth and protects the vital
organs this sleeping position is called
fuzzy bagel or donuts
number five why dogs dig
dogs dig in your yard for several
different reasons they may be burying
toys or bones to keep them protected
from other predators they may also dig
to cool themselves off on a hot summer's
day pregnant dogs may dig a hole as a
nesting instinct to make a home for her
pups but more often than not dogs dig to
alleviate boredom or just for fun
number four gifts
if your dog brings you a gift like a
shoe or their favorite toy it means they
love you it also means your dog wants
your attention
number three trashing your furniture
chewing on a wide variety of objects in
the house regardless of whether you are
home or not is probably the result of
boredom or separation anxiety your dog
probably needs more play exercise and
physical activity to work off some
energy
number two
why dogs howl
dogs howl to communicate attract
attention and announce their presence
dogs may also howl because they are
responding to ambulance or police sirens
believe it or not these noises are on
the same frequency level as their
hearing so when a dog howls at a siren
they are simply responding to their
fellow helpers
number one why dogs yawn
most people tend to think that a dog who
yawns is tired but that's usually not
the case for dogs yawning is a form of
communication dogs yawned when they are
feeling anxious like when they're in a
new environment or are surrounded by
other dogs you will see this behavior
more often in puppies when they are
around unfamiliar dogs dogs also yawn to
signal that they are not a threat if an
animal or person approaches a dog that
dog may avert their gaze and yawn it's a
dog's way of saying that they feel
threatened or anxious but that they are
not going to attack dogs use this type
of body language to avoid conflict
dogs may also yawn when scolded by a
human or in other stress-inducing
situations yawning is also a way for
dogs to curb their enthusiasm when you
get out the leash to take them for a
walk
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