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Dogs, the first animal to be domesticated, have been hanging with the humans for perhaps 14,500 years, which is 101,500 dog years. After all that time, you’d think we’d know them inside and out, but some of our best buds’ behaviors still puzzle us.
Not to worry. We’ve got explanations for some of those behaviors, and — spoiler alert — almost all of them link back to the dog’s wild child days. Here are some of the most common odd behaviors.
Digging in the bed
It’s bedtime and you’re ready for a long, satisfying sleep. But Fido has a different idea. He digs and digs, and digs some more in his bed. Is the linen thread count not to his liking? Nope, something more than that.
A few minutes of madness
Does your dog race around the house or yard at certain times of the day, acting like a crazy dog? Believe it or not, researchers have a name for it — FRAP, Frenetic Random Activity Periods. We just call it the zoomies.
Suddenly you’re a music critic?
Many dogs bark and howl when they hear music, but it’s not really about their musical tastes. They do the same thing when they hire sirens or smoke alarms, so don’t take it personally. It’s a case of mistaken identity.
Ready to ride
Many dogs aren’t happy riding in a car if they can’t have their heads hanging out the window, tongue lolling on the side of their mouths. It sounds very uncomfortable to us, but it’s heaven for the dogs. The reason? It’s probably all about the nose.
One person’s lawn is another dog’s lunch
Most of us dog lovers tend to freak out when our dog starts munching the grass, worried that the dog is sick. Dogs have a few reasons for eating grass, and none of them is because the pup’s sick.
Booty scooting boogie
What dog owner among us has not been horrified to see their dog dragging its butt on the carpet? It’s a very common behavior that sometimes meaning nothing in particular, but it could mean a health problem and a visit to the vet.
Dog’s greatest foe: The mail carrier
Few things can trigger a dog’s protective instincts than the person who comes to your house almost every day. Do these intrepid postal carriers awaken some ancient instinct in your dog, or did dogs just learn to hate?
Food issues
Dogs have some strange (to us) habits when it comes to food, including taking food out of the bowl before eating it, and consuming cat poop and other unsavory things.
Me and my (dog) shadow
Let’s face it, our dogs love us. They want to be with us. They want to see what we’re up to, and lordy, they love to follow us every step we take. Why do they do it? It’s sort of complicated.
Some dogs are scaredy cats
We like to think of our dogs as our great protectors, but they can get frightened, too, especially by fireworks or by menacing creatures that prowl the night.
Just not into you
Dogs are fairly accepting animals. They usually love everyone until given a reason not to. Unfortunately, people that have some resemblance or similarities to the people on the dog’s “don’t like” list can unfairly pay the price.
