The Meaning Behind 21 Strangest Dog Behaviors | Jaw-Dropping Facts about Dogs

we know you really love your dogs but there are times when they behave in ways you don't understand and sometimes your dog's behavior may be amusing embarrassing or just needs to be captured on video on that note let's talk about the 21 things dogs do and the meaning behind them number 21 why dogs kick when you scratch their belly have you ever noticed that when you scratch your dog's belly they start kicking their back leg this movement is an involuntary reaction called scratch reflex when you scratch a dog's belly you activate the nerves under the skin that are connected to their spinal cord these nerves send a message to your dog's leg muscles to kick and twitch in an attempt to get rid of an irritant this is what causes a dog's leg to start involuntarily jerking number 20. why dogs kick their feet after pooping while it may look like your dog is trying to cover up its urine and feces it isn't by scratching the ground your dog is releasing the pheromones located in the scent glands of its feet this is the main way your dog marks its territory your dog wants the other dogs to know that this is his area and he is an alpha dog and while you think that your dog might be sniffing another dog's poop they are actually sniffing the pheromones another dog is left behind from kicking the dirt this is a unique form of communication where your dog will tell another dog if they sense danger or even let them know about their sexual availability number 19 why dogs drag their butts on the floor this one isn't so humorous and it shouldn't be embarrassing although it may seem so at the time your dog dragging their bottom on the ground is also known as scooting and it's almost always a sign that something is irritating your dog like infection inflammation or worms more often than not this irritation has to do with anal sac problems and while humans can't really relate to it dogs have anal sacks located on both sides of their rear end that contain a foul fishy smelling liquid these are internal organs which a dog uses to communicate with other dogs these anal sacs can become blocked inflamed or abscessed this is why dogs start scooting it is their attempt to relieve the pain and discomfort your dog may also try to lick the affected area in order to feel better number 18. why dogs hump a dog may start humping your leg or the leg of a guest in your home how awkward is that and what is the meaning behind it oftentimes it's not what you think in general dogs hump something to establish their territory even a stuffed animal so when dogs hump this is not necessarily a sexual activity they just want to show you your guest another dog or a teddy bear which pet rules the house sometimes humping is a sign that the dog is overexcited seeking attention or trying to relieve some anxiety they also hump to release energy and although people generally associate dog humping with male dogs female dogs do it too let's put it this way if your dog is humping the leg of one of your guests it could just be their way of greeting them in order to establish their dominance if you feel embarrassed by this behavior you can distract your dog with a toy number 17 why dogs poop along a north-south axis yep you heard that right if you've ever wondered why your dog seems to do a million circles and then poop facing the same direction each time this is why after a two-year study involving 70 dogs it was found that dogs disregard personal preference and prefer to poop facing the north-south magnetic axis the experiment involved 37 different breeds 5582 urinations and 1800 defecations dogs tune into the magnetic fields of the earth and plan their bowel movements accordingly so the next time you walk your dog it might be a good idea to take a compass number 16 why dogs twitch in their sleep dogs dream during the rem stage of sleep and those twitches are responses to whatever's happening in their dreams number 15 showing empathy dogs can sense when you are sad or upset they show empathy to comfort you when you are in distress number 14 sleeping on your clothes if your dog sleeps on your clothes or in your bed it means they love you your clothing and bed have your scent on them and dogs always want to feel closer to you number 13. sitting on your feet dogs lay or sit on your feet as a sign of marking their territory they are simply telling other dogs this owner is mine dogs also sit on your feet to show you affection just as you would choose to sit next to a friend or a loved one number 12 staring at you so intensely dogs stare at you for lots of reasons more often than not dogs stare to get signals as to what is happening next essentially they are waiting for us to do something that will impact them like picking up the leash to take them for a walk or to perform a specific command like six and earn a reward dogs also stare to manipulate their owners to get what they want this is a common scenario with begging at the dinner table of course plenty of a dog stare is simply out of an expression of love number eleven squinting their eyes dogs squint their eyes to indicate peaceful intentions if your dog squints their eyes when they look at you they are expressing their love and desire for your attention dog squinted eyes also indicate that they are not at all interested in rough play or even a hint of aggression number 10 rolling on their back in the grass dogs roll in the grass for a lot of reasons they could be scratching an itch or attempting to change their own body sense what smells good to us may smell unpleasant to our dogs for example the smell of scented shampoos on dog's fur may send them running outside to roll on the stinkiest thing they can find another reason your dog may roll in the grass is to mark their territory or deposit their scent by rubbing their scent off on an area like a carpet or a new dog bed they are marking it as theirs interestingly enough rolling on grass is also an instinctual behavior hearkening back to the days when your dog's wild ancestors would mask their scent to sneak up on prey wolves for example have been observed rolling in the droppings of plant-eating animals or animal carcasses to cover up their own scent during the hunt this is why you may notice that your dog smells the ground before they roll around on it finally your dog may roll in the grass simply because it feels good number nine hunching over a hunched over posture in dogs can be seen when they are fearful and feeling particularly vulnerable by hunching over dogs try to make themselves small almost wishing to become invisible dogs also hunch over when they are abused attacked or scolded number eight why dogs lick you dogs may lick you for a lot of reasons they may want to show you affection and love they may even want to groom you to show that they care about your well-being or they may simply enjoy the taste of your salty skin however your dog's licking behavior could be part of its survival instinct too for example when wolves return to their pups after a meal they regurgitate meat from the hunt the pups too young to hunt on their own will lick the meat from around their mother's mouth it is believed by some that this licking behavior has been passed down in the dna causing dogs to instinctively do it sometimes licking behavior gets reinforced by a person's reactions like laughing smiling or petting your dog will feel rewarded and encouraged by any kind of attention number seven urine marking some dogs sent mark by urinating small amounts on vertical surfaces usually while raising a leg dogs use their urine to mark areas they consider to be theirs marking their territory lets other dogs know that they are present urine also signifies the reproductive status of the dog and their ranking both male and female dogs can urine mark dogs who aren't neutered or spayed are more likely to mark than those who are number six fuzzy bagel if your dog tucks its paws beneath itself and curls up so that its head rests on its tail it means that your dog might be trying to conserve body heat and provide protection to the fundamental parts of its body it's the most common sleeping position for animals in the wild too as it helps conserve warmth and protects the vital organs this sleeping position is called fuzzy bagel or donuts number five why dogs dig dogs dig in your yard for several different reasons they may be burying toys or bones to keep them protected from other predators they may also dig to cool themselves off on a hot summer's day pregnant dogs may dig a hole as a nesting instinct to make a home for her pups but more often than not dogs dig to alleviate boredom or just for fun number four gifts if your dog brings you a gift like a shoe or their favorite toy it means they love you it also means your dog wants your attention number three trashing your furniture chewing on a wide variety of objects in the house regardless of whether you are home or not is probably the result of boredom or separation anxiety your dog probably needs more play exercise and physical activity to work off some energy number two why dogs howl dogs howl to communicate attract attention and announce their presence dogs may also howl because they are responding to ambulance or police sirens believe it or not these noises are on the same frequency level as their hearing so when a dog howls at a siren they are simply responding to their fellow helpers number one why dogs yawn most people tend to think that a dog who yawns is tired but that's usually not the case for dogs yawning is a form of communication dogs yawned when they are feeling anxious like when they're in a new environment or are surrounded by other dogs you will see this behavior more often in puppies when they are around unfamiliar dogs dogs also yawn to signal that they are not a threat if an animal or person approaches a dog that dog may avert their gaze and yawn it's a dog's way of saying that they feel threatened or anxious but that they are not going to attack dogs use this type of body language to avoid conflict dogs may also yawn when scolded by a human or in other stress-inducing situations yawning is also a way for dogs to curb their enthusiasm when you get out the leash to take them for a walk [Music]

Channel: Jaw-Dropping Facts

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Length: 11min 30sec (690 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 14 2020