10+ Things Our Dogs Do That We Wish We Knew Why (We’ll Explain Everything)

People who have a small dog, or a dog the size of a bear, experience one thing in common: they can’t always understand what these little angels want when they have some attitudes. But don’t worry, to help you, we’ll explain the most common situations with illustrations. In a playful way and based on studies, we are going to unveil these furry ones once and for all.

O awesome.club I brought expert explanations, with beautiful illustrations, that will help you understand why your doggo still has attitudes linked to the instincts of his wolf ancestors, with logical explanations. Come with us and enter the pet world and its “oddities”.

It’s important to identify the reasons why your pet acts that way. For puppies, this can be a fun game, for old people it can signal dementia, hunting breeds can make the gesture as if the tail were a hunt. But if the act isn’t constant, he might just be needy and it means he’s wanting your attention or asking to play.

If this movement becomes repetitive, it is important to consult a veterinarian to rule out more serious problems and find ways to reduce the problem. The diagnosis can confirm whether it is dementia or senility, in addition to the possibility of being a Canine Compulsive Disorder (CD) which can include other symptoms such as licking of paws, belly and private parts.

Dogs keep some instinctive attitudes from their ancestors, and hiding food is one of them. It could be in your backyard garden or between the couch cushions, it doesn’t matter. The explanation is quite simple: wild dogs kept food so that there would be no shortages during times of scarcity; being fed and stronger, they could defend the territory and propagate their offspring.

Another attitude brought over from the time when they were wild; the fight guaranteed the maintenance of leadership in the pack, the conquest of more females and the dissemination of their genes. In addition, there is a consensus that large breeds are calmer and smaller ones are more stressed and aggressive. According to experts, this has more to do with the way they are created than with size.

An attitude that should be avoided since your pet is a puppy so as not to cause accidents; the act of being aggressive when eating demonstrates that he feels, or wants to be, the leader of the pack. To modify the behavior, you can give him food or snacks straight from your hand and train him from a young age by putting his hand in the bowl at mealtimes. This avoids stress and helps you understand that food doesn’t have to be defended.

The need to live in a group to survive in the wild is the origin of the dog’s need to always be accompanied. In nature, wolves left alone have more difficulty defending themselves and getting food, as they attack prey in groups. By instinct, the dog understands that it needs, whether leading or being led, to have a group and you are part of that group when you tame it.

Since your pet does not know how to speak, it communicates through body movements and one of the most significant is the caudal movement. We brought you a drawing that summarizes the most common movements well:

Straight or slightly raised: alert position; Shakes tail and hips vigorously: is happy or agitated; The tail is lowered or between the legs: it is afraid of something or someone; Scales with slow movements: is anxious, curious or fearful; Tail down and back: simply ignoring you; Smelling another dog and tail up: making friends.

Experts noticed that people choose a dog that most resembles them. Psychologist Michael Roy of the University of California separated owner and dog, and participants in the experiment found the right pair fairly easily. The resemblance can be slight and is not restricted to appearance, most of the time they acquire the owner’s personality as being kind, quarrelsome or grouchy.

Some dogs understand that their owner is, in a way, their property, like their balls, pets or food. Unlike the need to defend the owner from strangers, some dogs demand exclusivity in relation to other people who live with them in the same space. A behavior that has to do with the search for dominance and rivalry, since for him everyone is from the same pack.

A very common situation is that of the puppy bringing the owner’s favorite toy. This attitude demonstrates that your pet wants to play with you, as it has a lot of energy accumulated and needs to spend it on exercise. He believes you are the leader of the pack and wants to please him by giving him something he likes. With that, he demonstrates that he trusts you to the point of giving him his favorite toy.

When your pet shows his belly, it looks like he’s asking for affection, but that’s not exactly why he takes that attitude. Researchers warn that although they accept affection, they don’t feel comfortable. University of Edinburgh animal expert Jill MacKay explains that dogs show their bellies as a sign of submission and to avoid confrontation with other dogs.

Your doggo’s fixed gaze on you could mean that he loves you, adores you and trusts you. In addition, he understands that this display of affection can often bring him some kind of advantage or benefit. Yes… he may be having a self-serving behavior when he realizes that he can have some gain when he makes the famous “needy and begging dog face”.

Anyone who has a dog at home is used to seeing him following you around, which can even cause some discomfort. But understand that all he wants to show is that he considers you a great partner and wants to do everything together with you. A survey identified that they prefer to follow the person who usually deals with them the most; the one who gives food, plays or walks regularly.

Most dogs love to lick their owner and this is their way of showing love and affection. Over time, they learn that this can help when he wants a little more attention, so they’ll drool over you whenever they need a little more affection. When he licks his owner it can also relieve stress and reinforce that you are his “supreme leader”.

When the pet licks itself it can mean stress or pain, so it’s important to check the reason. When he’s a puppy and licks objects, the floor or rugs it could be that he’s just exploring the new environment. If he is already an adult, he may be signaling that he is stressed or bored, also investigate with the veterinarian the possibility of gastrointestinal problems.

Dogs have different ways of taking care of their personal hygiene, which often seems strange to us humans. When we bathe our pets and they run to rub themselves in the grass, dirt or sofa, that impression of lost work hits us. But rolling is part of your grooming in an attempt to remove loose hair and dirt.

The pet that lives in a house with a backyard or with a lot of space can instinctively roll on top of feces and even other dead animals. Wolves used this camouflage technique to mask their scent and make it easier to hunt for food. Thus, the game hardly smelled the predator and did not run away.

A puppy takes time to understand where to eliminate and that’s normal; an adult dog can do this when he’s taken to places he doesn’t know and gets anxious. If your pet urinates every time you get home, you have to ignore him for a few minutes, until he calms down; and if this happens when you try to pick him up, he may be afraid of you: review your actions with him.

Did you like the tips? What else does your pet do that you don’t understand why? Tell us.