The Meaning Behind 21 Strangest Dog Behaviors

Do you only plan to get a dog or already struggle to understand your pal? Knowing what lies behind the strange behavior of your dog will reduce your anxiety. First of all, you should understand that most weird dog behaviors are simply instinctive and habitual. Let’s learn the most important ones.

Have you ever noticed that your dog kicks when you scratch his belly? This movement is reflexive. The nerves under the skin connect the spinal cord of your dog with leg muscles; that is why when you touch those nerves, your dog kicks a leg.

Another thing about feet you may be aware of is kicking feet after pooping. Although it looks likes your dog tries to cover or hide its urine and feces, in fact, he releases his pheromones to let other dogs know that it is his place, and he has been there. Hence, when other dogs are sniffing around to find another dog’s poop, they are checking out whether or not it is someone else’s area. Besides, dogs’ pheromones can carry a lot of information like danger or sexual availability.

What behavior you should really be concerned about is scooting, or in other words, when a dog is dragging his bottom on the ground. It is an alarm for you. Scooting can be caused by infection, inflammation, worms, and other reasons. In most cases, this irritation is because of anal sac problems. Dragging the bottom or licking it are the ways dogs try to release pain.

Then, if you see your dog likes to sleep on your clothes, it doesn’t mean he has a bad habit, and you should punish your dog for that. Dogs usually like to sleep on owners’ clothes when they miss their owners. Maybe you are away for long, and as your clothes have your smell, they help the dog release stress.

In addition to sleeping on your clothes, dogs can also trash furniture when they feel lonely. Try to minimize time when you are away from your dog at least before he doesn’t get used to that.

Make sure you check other strange dog behaviors so that you avoid misunderstandings later on.