3 Dog Behaviors That Will Surprise You

With dog training and dog ownership, we sometimes experience dog behaviors that are confusing and can cause us to scratch our heads, wondering what they mean. Whether we notice our dogs displaying strange behavior towards a vacuum, rubbing their bottoms on the floor, or sniffing at a random couch in the living room, these behaviors can be as confusing as they can be frustrating. But what do some of these strange behaviors mean, and do they require medical attention? Today we are going to be taking a look into 3 common strange behaviors for dogs, and what they could possibly mean.


My Dog Barks At The Vacuum


While a dog barking at the vacuum can be an inconvenience and increasingly frustrating, there is a very real reason why dogs bark at vacuums. Vacuums, just like thunderstorms or the occasional trash truck outside, produce a loud noise that can be stressful to dogs. If a dog is already sound sensitive, then this noise being so loud can be a major trigger. On top of the noise, we have to look at where the noise is. Maybe your dog does not get bothered by the trash truck, but the trash truck is outside of the home and therefore your dog may not be bothered by it. But the vacuum produces a loud noise inside of the home, which has a much higher chance of setting off your dog’s protective instincts and causing it to be reactive.


My Dog Eats Cat Poop


This is a behavior that dogs can exhibit that is equal parts gross and intriguing. We cannot imagine eating feces of any kind, but anyone who owns a cat and a dog likely has had this happen at least once. The answer is more scientific than you might imagine, and it is very simple. Dogs are descendants of wolves, and because of this they crave a very high protein diet. Since cats are carnivorous and often consume high amounts of protein, that protein gets run through their bodies and into their feces. On top of the feces containing high amounts of protein which dogs can smell, the smell of cat feces is often much more pungent and noticeable for a dog, which will peak their curiosity. If your dog is exhibiting this behavior, our best recommendation is to make sure your pup is getting plenty of protein in their diet to curb those cravings, and to secure your cat’s litter box in a place where your dog cannot go. There are also more “secure” and self-cleaning litter boxes available that can help with this issue.


My Dog Rolls In Gross Things


This is another unsightly, and troublesome dog behaviors that can result in frequent baths and a lot of unnecessary time spent. The answer to this one is more unique, in the sense that veterinarians and animal psychologists are not quite sure of the exact answer. The best guess that veterinarians agree on is that likely, it stems from their wolf bloodline and acts as a way to disguise their scent, either in order to hunt or to avoid other predators. Wolves have been seen conducting a similar behavior, and it is very likely that because wolves have such a distinct odor in the animal kingdom, they would do this in order to hide their scent and hunt efficiently. Why does your dog do it? It is likely a strange byproduct of evolution that ended up not being very effective for the domesticated canine.



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