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7 Of The Strangest/Funniest Dog Behaviors – Explained If there is one thing we all know as pet owners, it is that each one of our babies has their own personalities. Their own little quirks, and behaviors that separate them from the rest. But what are some of the most common behaviors? And why on earth do they do some of these things? Today, I have 7 of the strangest/funniest dog behaviors – explained! 1. Dreaming While it is pretty normal to dream, some dogs go above and beyond! There are dogs who run in their sleep, dogs who bark, dogs who howl, whine, and even eat in their sleep! The reason for this is the same as us human folk. Brain activity! 2. The Poop Eaters We have all seen it or at least heard of it. Dogs who eat their own poop, or poop from another dog. Why, oh why do our beloved furries do this habit that is nothing short of disgusting? From my own research, I discovered a few things: Eating poop is a natural instinctive scavenging behavior inherited from ancestors They could be lacking in certain nutrients Pancreas issues Parasites. So if your dog is a poop eater, be sure that it out of habit and not an underlying health issue. 3. Circling Before Laying Down A lot of dogs have this behavior. And a common explanation is they do this to ensure maximum comfort. Another natural instinct coming from ancestors who would do circles to pat down the grass in an area before laying down for a snooze. 4. Licking I mean, they are dogs, so licking is normal right? To a point. But there is such thing as too much licking, or excessive licking. If your dog could literally sit there for hours and lick your leg. Or you notice your dog constantly licking the couch, or floor, he could have anxiety issues. Licking acts as a calming agent for a stressed-out pooch, or one who is dealing with some form of anxiety. 5. Suckling This one is seen mostly in younger dogs, but if the habit isn’t stopped early on, older dogs can carry it on. Dogs who suckle on blanket, pillows, things that… cute as heck right? But there is normally a reason behind it. This dog could have been separated from mom too early. And while it appears to be adorable, there have been several cases of dogs getting a blockage, having surgery or even losing their lives due to a piece of the fabric coming off in their mouth while they are suckling. So if you have a dog who displays this behavior, I recommend putting a stop to it sooner rather than later. Try getting your pup to focus on something else when he starts suckling. 6. Dogs Who Can’t Stand Other Dogs While Out for Walkies Have you ever seen those dogs that can play wonderfully with other dogs indoors, or off leash at a dog park, but that same dog acts like he should be number one on the top ten list of most aggressive dogs while he’s out for a walk on a leash? Reason? This dog may feel like while he is leashed, he is vulnerable… He feels like he has to act big and tough as a warning to other dogs due to him being restrained. Another common reason for this is the feeling of having to protect their owner. 7. Dogs and Mirrors Have you ever put your dog in front of a mirror to see what his reaction is? Some dogs won’t have a care in the world when it comes to mirrors while others will literally go crazy barking at this strange furry figure inside the frame. To them… they are seeing a dog, who has no smell, and is mimicking his behavior. He will go to all lengths to figure it out. We are curious! What are some of the funniest/strangest behaviors your pets display? Jenna Drady Jenna Drady is the author and creator of ownedbyahusky.ca. She is a mother of two beautiful daughters and 3 Siberian Huskies. Being a husky mom for a long duration of her life, Jenna was inspired to begin writing about them. In doing so, she began doing massive research on dog behavior, and all things dog in general. Jenna is inspired everyday by her family, and loves to bring her readers valuable information as well as a little humor too! Jenna has created her own business partnered with her lovely mother while blogging called Pawz N Clawz Jewelry N Things. They currently sell handmade jewelry with added pet charms, as well as a few dog toys too! As an animal rights activist, and huge believer in helping pets who have been stuck in shelters, they donate a portion of their sales to local shelters throughout Canada. :|zpendofcontent|:
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Help, My Dog Is Constipated! Best Natural Constipation Remedies Constipation is one of the most common health issues in dogs. Although it can usually be resolved naturally without veterinary intervention, constipation can lead to serious medical problems if you don’t get it under control. If you’re not sure whether or not your dog is constipated, here are a few tail-tale (who can resist such a pun!) symptoms to watch for: Your dog doesn’t poop every day. The poops are hard (dehydrated). Your dog is straining to poop. There is mucus and or blood along with the poop. Your dog’s anus is bloody. Your dog is lethargic and doesn’t want to play. We must offer a cautionary note before we tell you how to treat your dog’s constipation naturally. While your first inclination may be to reach for a laxative in your medicine cabinet, you should NEVER do so without checking with your veterinarian first! Some human laxative medications can do serious harm to your dog! Constipation is a blockage, or partial blockage, in the intestine. Therefore, the overarching goal is to unblock the intestine to get things moving again. Getting more water into your dog’s system should be your top priority. There are a few ways to go about this. First, you’ll want to encourage your dog to drink more water. Don’t worry if your pooch is resistant to this because there are other steps you can take that will guarantee you get more water into their system. Switch your dog from dry kibble to a 100 percent canned food diet. Canned food contains much more moisture than kibble so this will automatically get more water into your dog’s intestine. You can also very easily mix water into the canned food. For small dogs, try adding an extra teaspoon or two. For large dogs, try mixing in a few tablespoons of water. Once you’ve done the above, you add some wholesome fiber to your dog’s diet. Please note that you should NOT use any fiber supplement meant for human consumption as some of these can actually hurt your dog! One of the safest and best sources of fiber for dogs is canned pumpkin. Be sure to buy pure pumpkin puree without any sugar, spices, or other ingredients added. To make sure, read the ingredient label rather than the front label. Dr. Mercola’s holistic veterinarian team recommends one teaspoon of canned pumpkin per ten pounds, one or two times per day. Since most dogs love canned pumpkin, you can offer this as a special treat or mix it with your dog’s food. Medicine that they love — yea! If you happen to have a fresh pumpkin on hand, you can simply boil it, mash it up, and use this instead of canned pumpkin. Another very effective natural remedy for constipation in dogs is exercise. In fact, you can try this remedy right along with the first step of giving your dog more water. Take your dog for a brisk walk and or play a good round of fetch with your dog. In many cases, this may be all that is needed to get the blockage moving again, especially when combined with extra water. Once you have remedied the constipation, you may need to make changes to ensure your dog doesn’t get recurring constipation. First, you should commit to ensuring your dog gets daily exercise and adequate water in their diet. The second thing you need to do is consider cutting back on how much you feed your dog. According to a 2016 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 53.9 percent of all dogs who are checked by veterinarians are overweight or obese, with a whopping 19.8 percent of these dogs in the obese category! We know it’s hard to resist those puppy dog eyes begging for food, but if you truly love your dog, you’ll make sure he or she is at a healthy weight. Have your dog weighed at your veterinarian’s office and ask where they fall on the weight scale and how much he/she SHOULD weigh for his/her size and build. Many veterinarians will actually do this for free in between regular visits. Good luck to you and pooch! Sheri Renaud Sheri is the owner and founder of trainthatpooch.com, a blog inspired by her girl Bella, a five pound Yorkshire terrier with “attitude”. She was ready to have the perfect Yorkie… And she did… for about a minute. That’s when she realized that she had to train her if she wanted to have a well-behaved companion. Long story short, through many mess-ups and not knowing what she was doing, she was able to figure out a few things. Reading, researching and studying about dog training online helped her to better understand Bella and what she was going through, and she learned even more. As she talked to other dog owners at dog parks, out and about and at dog-related forums, she realized one thing – More people could benefit from what she was learning through trial and error. That was the moment that Train That Pooch was born. The only thing that outweighs her love for all things dog related is here love for Bella. She knows how much you love your pooch and wants you to have the same kinds of fun experiences and memories that Bella and she have had thus far. :|zpendofcontent|:
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The Most Useless Word in Dog Training What is the most useless word in dog training Could it be endlessly calling your dog’s name as they run off in the park in hot pursuit of a squirrel? Is it when you yell at your dog to ‘leave it’ as you hold them back from lunging after every child, dog or leaf that they see? Is it when you are chasing your dog around the room shouting ‘drop’ as they run in circles with the TV remote? If you are having the problems above, the words you are using are unfortunately of little meaning to your dog. However, I would not say these qualify for the most utterly useless word in dog training. This is a word common to the everyday language of the average dog owner. A word repeatedly used at all different times and in all different situations. A word that you will commonly hear at the park, the vets and anywhere there are owners and their dogs. A word often used out of frustration, embarrassment, and concern. Have you guessed it? It’s the word ‘No’. But before you recoil in horror and perhaps a little panic (I mean how can you train a dog without the word no??) consider the following. From a dog training perspective, the word ‘No’ does not convey any information to your dog as to what you would like him or her to do. For example, if my dog jumps up and I tell him ‘No’ I have not actually told him what it is I would like him to be doing instead. The only thing I have told my dog is that I’m cross with him, causing enough frustration or anxiety in some dogs that they will actually jump up more. Even if my dog stops jumping up this time they will likely jump up the next time and every other time after that. Not knowing what else to do the dog simply continues to perform their natural greeting behaviour. If I ask my dog for a ‘Sit’ every time he greets me I have instructed my dog with exactly what I want him to do. In addition, if only rewarded with attention when sitting and not jumping up with a bit of patience almost any dog can be taught to sit for polite greetings. So let’s go back to that recall. My dog has taken a very leisurely approach to returning when I’ve called him on a walk. Feeling annoyed and a bit embarrassed I shout at my dog when he returns. Now think about it from the dog’s point of view. When I come back to my owner, I get told off. Therefore in order to avoid this telling off, it is better to stay away from my owner especially when there are lots more fun things out there I could be doing! Of course, there are other factors that impact on the success of training Including increasing difficulty too quickly and circumstances where owners have unrealistic expectations. You are not going to recall your dog mid squirrel chase (remember Fenton and those deer anyone?) but you do have a good chance of recalling your dog if you spot that squirrel first. There are now well known humane and successful methods of achieving dog training goals that are easy for most owners to achieve. There’s no need to shout ‘leave it’ as you hold your dog back from lunging or ‘drop’ as you try and wrestle that TV remote out of your dog’s mouth. A good dog trainer can help teach a range of obedience exercises without relying on punishment. So if you find yourself at the end of your tether spending all your time yelling at your dog and telling them ‘No’ perhaps it’s time start focusing on what it is you actually want your dog to be doing. The behaviours you train are after all the behaviours your dog will perform. Tamsin Peachey Tamsin is a qualified animal behaviourist having obtained an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour from Lincoln University in 2013. In 2017 Tamsin started running Puppy School classes in Solihull, having received tutor training from renowned author, dog trainer and canine behaviourist Gwen Bailey. Prior to running Puppy School Solihull Tamsin spent over two years working at Dog’s Trust gaining valuable experience in caring for and training a wide variety of rescue dogs. In 2014 Tamsin and her husband adopted their own rescue dog, Milo, with whom Tamsin has worked successfully to reduce his reactivity towards other dogs. In addition to dog training, Tamsin enjoys writing articles and resources on the topic of dog behaviour for both professionals and dog owners. :|zpendofcontent|:
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Does your dog need a sweater? The answer depends on where you live, what kind of dog you have, and in some cases, personal preference. I love dog sweaters (and so does my dog), but I also live in the Midwest where sub-zero days in January and February are the norm. Dogs with thick fur stay warm on their own as long as they stay dry. While others – shorthaired or short-legged dogs, seniors, puppies, toy breeds, thin dogs with very little body fat, and dogs with chronic health or immune system issues – need the extra layer when the … Continue reading →
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When was the last time you taught your dog a new trick? Been a while? Sometimes when we get a new dog/puppy we spend a lot of time teaching tricks and behaviors and once we feel the dog is “trained” we… well stop. Dogs love, love, love to train and learn behaviors. The AKC has launched a new trick dog program and it is just the ticket for some fresh new ideas. Why train tricks? Dogs love to learn new things Mental stimulation and activity helps improve your dog’s overall behavior New tricks prevent boredom (which can lead to bad … Continue reading → The post Why You Need to Teach Your Dog Tricks appeared first on 4Knines Dog Blog.
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To train your dog to walk to heel, it is vital they are calm and responsive. This allows them to have the focus to learn what you are asking of them. To accomplish this, it will help to plan the walk in a series of stages, starting off at a place with minimal distractions so you have the dog’s attention and...
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Would you like to explore what Animal Communication is all about? Maybe you have wanted to learn how but didn’t know where to begin? Or do you already know how to communicate with your animal and would like some extra tips? Whatever your goal may be — you have come to the right place to get the answers to these questions and some others that you may have. Before I share with you the 6-Steps of what I exactly teach my Animal Communication students (see my bio below for more details), here are some are some things to consider. Let’s … Continue reading →
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It’s that time of year where I get asked how cold is too cold to leave your dog outside during the day and some I know have their dogs outside all the time. The answer depends on the following factors: where you live, the size of your dog, the weight of your dog, the type of coat your dog has, the color of your dog’s coat, the type of condition your dog is in, your dog’s overall health and your dog’s age. Not all dogs are alike nor are the temperatures. When it comes to the temperature you have to … Continue reading →
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As a trainer, often I get asked how a client can teach their dog to walk on a loose leash. Dogs sometimes pull on the leash because the dog walks at a faster pace than the person or because he has been inadvertently rewarded for pulling (like when they see someone they like and pull toward them and then get a greeting from the person) or perhaps the dog is very interested in the environment and pulls to investigate odors and other things he is interested in. Not only is this often uncomfortable for the person at the other end … Continue reading →
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It is November and with it comes the time of year when many of us are busy with the hustle, bustle, and preparations for the upcoming holidays. November is also Epilepsy Awareness Month, a time to support those living with epilepsy—humans and canines. So while you are making lists and checking them twice, I encourage you to do a purple awareness ribbon in support, and if you share your life with a dog who has Canine Epilepsy, to use this time to take inventory of your dog’s Epi First Aid Kit. First, and foremost, if your dog has a seizure...
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Over the last few years, I have been really privileged to work with a number of different dog patients, especially older dogs, all with different physical challenges. I really enjoy watching the transformation in my patients, seeing a dog with joint pain, being stiff and struggling to move; to then relaxing into...
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Last year, I rescued a German Shepherd named Neko from a shelter in Southern California. Aside from being a certified dog trainer, I am also the director of the German Shepherd rescue Sylvester’s Haven. Neko had been diagnosed with Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) by the shelter vet. We saved Neko under the assumption that he would probably only have seven months to live given his condition and we had enough donations lined up to give him a good end of life. As I took a personal interest in this amazing dog, I researched nutritional protocols to slow the progression of his … Continue reading →
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