“Why Does My Dog….(fill in the blank!)”

  Posted on December 2, 2014  by joyofliving  No comments

Party Marty here! OMG…I am stuffed! I had an AMAZING Thanksgiving celebration and spent the better part of the long weekend sleeping after I dined on cat-appropriate nibbles. I didn’t quite finish the sleeping part of my agenda after that, so I am going to complete that task today. As such, my time here with you will be brief, but meaningful, and I will then return to my regularly scheduled nap.

As I was celebrating with the big feast last week, I made some observations of that other critter here in the house…you know…the dog…Jessie. Have you ever watched what dogs do and wonder why on earth they do what they do?

Thanks to pawnation.com, I got some ever-so-popular “Why does my dog do that?” questions answered. This is pretty interesting (and entertaining!) stuff. Read on…

**Why does my dog eat poop? Ewww…c’mon…I cannot even stomach that. Sure, coughing up hairballs for cats is one thing, but eating your own waste? Why??? Apparently, this is a natural thing for dogs to do. It’s called coprophagia. In fact, their stomachs are strong enough to handle it and they can even get nutrients from it. Still…yuck! Am I right?

**Why does my dog dig? Much like eating its own poop, a dog’s tendency to dig is a natural thing to do. It’s an evolutionary thing in that dogs in the wild used to dig to protect their young from predators and to provide a safe and comfortable place to sleep. If your dog digs in your backyard these days, he could be doing it to make a place to stay warm or cool (depending on the elements) or he just wants to find a place to take a nap!

**Why does my dog lick its paws? This is done typically for four reasons: pain, allergies, anxiety, or boredom. If your dog consistently licks his paws, be sure to check them for any sores or open wounds. Consider, too, that he could be allergic to something in his food or something in the fertilizer that you use on hour lawn. If you determine he is bored, for goodness sake…entertain the poor fellow!

**Why does my dog jump on people? For the most part, this could just be his standard greeting, and if he is cordial about, I wouldn’t fuss over it… unless, of course, your guests do not enjoy it. However, sometimes dogs jump on people as a form of aggression and dominance. If you feel that your dog jumps up on others for this reason, then it is important to discourage it. Otherwise, consider his playful jumping on you as you come in the door at the end of the day a reminder of how special you are to him!

As a cat, I really don’t understand any of this behavior. I guess it is because I am much more evolved than a dog.