“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was peace. ”
These fun loving species don’t display the most fun attributes sometimes!! Just like your crazy BFF’s your loyal fellas have the craziest and the weirdest habits to set forth. Lets take a look at some of their strangest behaviours, and then try to understand them from a dog’s perspective. Most often, there’s a good reason for an odd behaviour if you just look closely enough.
TAIL CHASING: Dogs chase their tails because it’s like a toy that never goes away. This amusing behavior is simply a fun way for your pup to expend her excess energy, your pup could be bored and wants attention. The sight of a dog whirling around in a circle with his tail in his mouth might be one of the funniest scenes in dog dom and when humans see this, they laugh, and often encourage the dog which results in the engraining if of such a behavior in the dog. These actions could be a response to a itchy tail because of a flea , tick ,worm problem or dirt. In some cases, tail chasing can be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder, some will literally spin and spin until dizzy, or until their nails or pads wear down from the constant friction. If you can’t distract your dog from chasing her tail, or if you suspect she has a medical condition, you should speak to your veterinarian. be sure to keep your dog as pest-free and clean as possible, thus preventing tail biting spurred from infestation or dirt. Remove tangles from his tail fur, use a flea/tick preventive prescribed by a veterinarian, and get dermatitis diagnosed and treated. Exercise your dog and provide enrichment to prevent boredom and anxiety resulting from isolation. Socialize and train and never encourage the spinning. Usually dogs with another dog around won’t tail chase; it’s almost always an “only dog” issue, so consider a second dog or play dates.
SLOBERRY KISSES: Puppies are licked immediately out of the womb by their mother, who licks off the excess goo from birth and continues the tradition to groom the pups. Firstly “licking” is their way of showing affection and secondly they love the attention they get while they are doing so. You might not be pleased with your dogs slimy interactions but they don’t have a bad intention either.
POOP EATING: This bizarre behavior is termed as “Coprophagy “. Poor diet or not being fed enough, missing key nutrients from the diet could be the reason but in such conditions you should ask your veterinarian for help. To prevent coprophagy, keep your dog’s environment perfectly free of any waste. Be sure to feed the best food possible, in amounts suitable for your dog. While walking your dog, let him sniff around only in spots where you know there is no other waste present.
BIRD CHASING: Most dogs view birds as potential pray but its ultimately because they like playing the chase game with flying entities. While they are certainly not as skilled at killing birds as cats are, some dogs derive great pleasure from chasing them. Just make sure that you are not condoning the bad dog behavior in any subconscious way, encourage a calm-submissive state. Sometimes its fun and controllable but if it starts to get obsessive and becomes a habit then be a pack leader and take control of the situation. Once you make the dog understand that he must be quiet and respectful before any dog activity, he will not be so overexcited and fanatical with the things around him.
HUMPING: Both males and females mount and hump, and these behaviors first appear early in a dog’s life, particularly during play. Mounting and humping should not be considered abnormal behavior patterns. Puppies often mount and hump their littermates, other playmates, people and toys. Its is possible that your dog mounts and/or humps only occasionally because they like to do it and can, and you can let them be but various medical problems, including urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, priapism (persistent, often painful erections) and skinallergies, can influence a dog’s mounting behavior. Dogs suffering from one of these or other medical issues often spend a lot of time licking and chewing the genital area. If you notice your dog excessively mounting, licking or chewing himself, or rubbing his body against things, take him to a veterinarian to rule out medical concerns.
TRY TO TRACK MOVING CARS: Dogs evolved as endurance specialists. Wild canines, like wolves and coyotes, use speed to run down prey, and our puppies are but one paw-step away from wild cousins and have retained this instinct. The urge to pursue moving objects is hardwired into the canine brain. This is a natural hunting behavior that is demonstrated whenever your pup chases a ball, Frisbee or squirrel. They see a car moving in the distance, and they simply have to give chase. Some dogs are so motivated to chase cars that they’ll even lie in wait at the side of the road or in a ditch and, as a car approaches, they’ll leap out to head it off. This is obviously a very dangerous pastime. Car chasers are often seriously injured or killed—typically not by the car they are chasing, but by one passing when the dog darts into the road. They can also cause serious auto accidents when drivers swerve to avoid them and are startled by their sudden appearance in the road. Even leashed dogs who are attracted to traffic can pose problems. As a preventive measure Putting in an underground electric or above-ground fence is a helpful step. Another method that may work is to have a friend drive by in their car slowly. When your dog chases the car have your friend throw water balloons at the dog, not to hurt him, but to scare him into not wanting to chase cars anymore. If you can get your dog obedience trained well enough you can train him to stop on command, but if you are not paying attention when the car drives by you may be too late in stopping your dog. Doing special car chasing training is wise if your dog is a car chaser.