Have you ever wondered why dogs sometimes act so weird?
As a dog owner, I can guess there is no way that the answer of any dog owner could be "NO"!
I have tried hard to get a better answer for that question rather than "Dogs can be disgusting" or "
they are known to do crazy things sometimes" Because these kind of answers are very much like the question itself to me!
The good news is that a real dog lover made the homework truly incredible. Finally, we have a close evolutionary investigation about the top 10 strange things our pooches do!
Scroll down and get ready to be dazzled!
- 1.Drinking Out of the Toilet
If you are of the ones who used to leave the toilet lid open, then you already know that your dog seems to have a serious weird habit!
Why do dogs seem to prefer drinking toilet water rather than that pure good water you put for them?
To a dog, toilet is not a human waste receptacle. In fact,
they would prefer the flush water every time!
If you have already wondered about the reason, there is a convincing explanation regarding this disgusting common doggie-action.
They are right to love it! The porcelain keeps water cooler and tastes better than the water in their plastic or metal bowls. Besides, the continuous flushing keeps it always fresh and well oxygenated.
However, dogs do not know that their favorite fountain of endless water supply contains harmful bacteria and poisonous cleaning chemicals, so keep the lid closed for their sakes.
- Rolling Around in Smelly Stuff
While this has been indescribable gross to almost all dog owners,
repulsive smells to humans are actually like perfume to dogs!
Dogs cannot resist the odor so that they want to cover their bodies with it. In addition, it is believed that instinct has evolutionary history with dogs originates from the days humans used dogs for hunting. Ancient hunters had to keep dogs undercover, so they had to smell unlike dogs to remain unnoticeable to the prey.
- Chasing Cats
I know that many of dog owners have that kind of cat-loving pup. So if you are one of them, please skip this segment, unless you want to understand why your neighbor's dog keeps chasing your cat!
Dogs are hunters by their nature, and chasing preys is what a hunter does. It is that simple! But why chasing dogs are more associated to cats! Well, most of us live in cities where no squirrels and rabbits, but this does not mean that dogs would not like to satisfy their hunting instinct. Therefore,
cats can do nothing but to pay for all other furry critters to city dogs. However, cat is slightly faster than a dog, which means to keep the chase exciting, and getting safely out of it at the end! However, this
"dogs vs. cats" issue seems to be eternal!
- Leg Pumping When Scratching Their Sweet Spot
Whether you scratch your canine's belly, side, or tail joint, their automatic response is always a "pumped leg", every single time!
Most people deal with this reaction as a sign of enjoyment, but it turned out that there is more likely explanation, an
opposite explanation actually! According to animal neurologists, this is how the neurological system of canines functions to keep pests off. It is a sort of an automatic reflex reaction, which does not differ between fleas and fingernails!
Dogs cannot control the hardwiring that brings their legs up to scratch. No wonder vets takes this as an easy option to test dogs neurologically. As long as both insect bites and fingernails scratching result in the same response, their neurological system functions well!
- Greeting Visitor's Leg
More than any other behavior,
this one is the most embarrassing to pet owners.
Just like teenage boys, male dogs become sexually insatiable in their adolescent period. This is because of the overabundance of hormones in their system during that time. While neutering can often tame this behavior, some dogs get obsessed with their male parts. If your male canine friend gets over obsessed, get him checked by your vet to be sure he have no medical issue.
- Eating Grass
Yet, there is no certain explanation for this behavior. However, there is two reasonable theories:
One theory is based on evolution, originating from the ancient days when there were neither vets nor medications for treating dogs if they ate a bad meal. In those cases, dogs had to overcome their ills by their own paws.
Eating grass was the canines' way to tangle with offending food as ingested grass irritates their stomach and cause them to throw up. Another related hypothesis is that canines know by nature that
some kinds of grass are helpful for their digestion system.
The other theory is that
dogs eat grass to vomit for relieving their nausea. It seems like not only the sailors who know that vomiting stops the nausea. If you have ever been seasick, then you would know exactly what it means.
- Barking at the Mailman
Dogs never get used to the mailman because he does not stay!
The mailman delivers the mail and leave, but dogs do not know that in fact! When dogs bark at a stranger coming into their territory, followed by the departure of that stranger, dogs think that their loud voice is a good defensive tool against that stranger.
The true problem is that the mailman keeps coming back, and the pup is able to recognize him every time because of the uniform. Therefore, he barks even louder trying to deliver his message clearer, then the mailman leaves again!
Now, the pooch is completely convinced that stranger is a source of threat, just because he leaves every time after hearing the loud barks. Over time, this pattern of aggression increases in tension. In other words,
the dog keeps barking loud as long as the stranger leaves after!
- Licking
While many dog owners deal with dog licking as it is their
way of kissing,
the fact is so far from that!
Licking behavior is introduced to dogs as soon as they are born. They are licked by their mother to remove the birth sack so that they can breathe, and while they grow older, the mom keeps licking their puppies to clean them, and to teach them how to clean themselves. Puppies also lick their mom's face when they are hungry as a way of telling her it is time to bring them some food to eat.
According to animal behaviorists,
licking behavior in dogs is one of the canine's ways to show submission to the alpha beings, such as their owner, or another dog in the pack. However, vets deal with excessive licking as a sign of something wrong with the pup that requires a medical check, such as an open wound, or a sore joint.
- Circling Before Lying Down
Do you know why your dog circles before lying down?
Back in the wild days, before all that comfort rugs and doggie beds, dogs had been used to
smack down the tall grass in their bedding spot in order to make them more comfortable, just like when humans smack down their pillows before laying their heads on them. Additionally, dogs living in hot areas circle over grass to expose the cooler layer of it, so they can have a cool sleeping spot.
Another theory is that canines in the wild had to create a sort of
foxhole to hide from predators so that they could have secured sleep. It seems that this behavior remained in their nature, so they still show it even when they go to share you your own comfort modern bed!
- Wagging Their Tails
Dogs and cats have this behavior in common. While most pet owners take the
wagging tail – generally - as a sign of happiness, they could not be really happy all the time. This is because
the tail position is the most accurate indicator of a canine mood.
When your pup turns their tail in a lower "U" shape and wags it slowly, they are relaxed, as "We are cool".
In the contrary, they are annoyed if the tail is arched high over their back. But this sign can also be an indicator of being fascinated, so only a growl can tell the difference!
Interestingly, canines rarely wag when they are alone! They do not show the furry flag signs when there is nobody around to notice the signs, like there is no need for that sort of communication. They are most like keeping their feelings to themselves!
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