ALL ABOUT DOGS and CATS Resource Center for Canine & Feline Lovers
Canine Behaviour
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ALL ABOUT DOGS
Why Dogs Do That: A Collection of
Curious Canine Behaviors
Tom Davis (Author), Steve Smith
(Author), Peter Ring (Illustrator)
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Willow Creek Press (1998)
Why do dogs bury bones? Why do dogs
turn circles before lying down? Why do
dogs chase cars and their tails? These
and 36 other curious canine behaviors
are informatively and lightheartedly
answered in the handsomely illustrated
book. An original pencil drawing, rich in
detail, illustrates each insightful
explanation of odd but characteristic dog
actions, social graces and sometimes
unseemly deportment.
Curious Canine Behaviors
Tom Davis (Author), Steve Smith
(Author), Peter Ring (Illustrator)
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Willow Creek Press (1998)
Why do dogs bury bones? Why do dogs
turn circles before lying down? Why do
dogs chase cars and their tails? These
and 36 other curious canine behaviors
are informatively and lightheartedly
answered in the handsomely illustrated
book. An original pencil drawing, rich in
detail, illustrates each insightful
explanation of odd but characteristic dog
actions, social graces and sometimes
unseemly deportment.
Dogs are highly social animals. Their behavioral patterns account for their
trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social
situations. Much of their natural instinctive behavior revolves around learning how
to interact with other members of their species.
Domestic dogs prefer living in a social environment, and generally consider "their"
humans as part of the family. As puppies, their play with other family members is
important as it teaches them how to properly interact.
In some families, they share their lives with humans, other dogs, and even cats.
In these social settings, they need to know who is the leader in their social group.
Well-trained dogs are taught to look at their humans as their leaders.
Helping your dog to gently and consistently know what is acceptable behavior, will
help him/her be more comfortable. Not knowing what is expected can be very
stressful, as can sending mixed messages.
Knowing what normal dog behavior is will help you understand why your dog
does what he does. This can help prevent some behavioral problem from
occurring, and can help you retrain your dog if bad habits develop.
Barking
Some breeds were bred to bark. Figure out the key triggers of your dog's barking.
Perhaps it's the mail carrier, children getting off the school bus, the neighbor
coming out , or daily joggers. Try to reduce the opportunities as well as the
incentives to misbehave.
If trigger events occur outside, bring him indoors before the triggers appear. He'll
be less likely to bark when shielded from the opportunity. When he barks and the
targets bypass or leave your property, this reinforces the barking behavior - and
your dog figures he did his job well.
If you can't avoid the trigger events, re-focus his attention on you. Do this by
using small treats and praise. Try to catch and stop him before he emits his first
bark. Give the correction and command "no!" or "quiet!" Immediately praise him
verbally and use tidbits to reinforce the praise. Keep this up and he will learn it is
more pleasant not to bark.
The key is to break the barking cycle. To the dog, this cycle is: "Detect trigger
person/event ... barkbarkbark...feel good and useful...the trigger leaves...my
barking works great...I'll do that again!"
Chewing
Chewing is how young dogs explore their environments and mature dogs relieve
stress. Move chewable objects out of reach. Take up throw rugs. Shield or hide
power cords. Spray Bitter Apple on furniture legs and wood trim. Make sure your
dog always has access to his own chew toys. iLmit the number of toys you give
your dog, or he'll think nearly everything is fair game. Make a conscious effort to
reward your dog for playing with the right toys.
When you catch him chewing something off-limits, direct him to "leave it" Teach
him this command using positive reinforcement. When the dog drops the item,
praise him lavishly and give him an acceptable substitute to chew.
Digging
Digging is instinctive and deeply ingrained in dogs. Dogs dig for a variety of
reasons.
If you leave your dog out alone in the yard for any length of time, he may dig just
for something to do. Provide toys to relieve boredom.
Escape. Your dog may want to leave a fenced yard because there are so many
more interesting things to do elsewhere.
Hoarding. Dogs are instinctive hoarders. They will bury bones or other treats 'for a
rainy day' when they may need them.
Any dog may dig to excavate a den. Canines have an inherent instinct to hide out
in dens. If they do not have one available, they will 'make their own.'
Certain breeds, such as Terriers and Dachshunds, were bred specifically for their
ability to dig out game, such as badgers, foxes, and otters. Thus they have an
even greater digging instinct.
Provide your dog with a place where he is permitted to dig. Train him, with praise
and treats, to dig in that spot and not in an inappropriate place. Provide a sandy
area, with a lot of shade. Sand is much easier to clean off than dirt.
Jumping and Mounting
Jumping and Mounting are often behaviors dogs choose to seek a higher rank in
the pack. Sometimes they just jump out of excitement. Keep people from exciting
your dog to the point of jumping up, barking or nipping. Jumping can be
discouraged by just ignoring the dog until he settles down. Simply turn and walk
away. Provide a treat and attention only when the dog sits calmly on command.
Nipping and Biting
Young dogs gnaw and nip. This is unacceptable behavior that will continue and
grow worse, if not corrected. A dog will test the limits and to see who's boss. The
root of a dog's biting may be in lack of early socialization, fear, dominance,
confusion over his role in the pack, or a health problem requiring a trip to the vet.
If your dog tries to nip during play, command "no" and immediately stop playing.
Turn his eyes to meet yours to emphasize the point. You must feel and convey a
leadership role. As soon as he calms down, say "good dog." Use your dog's name
when giving praise; don't use it when in the act of correcting.
Chewing, mouthing, digging, jumping, chasing, barking) are natural, normal
behaviors for a dog. But you can control and replace them with desirable behavior
by taking the time to work with your dog.
Licking
Dogs lick for a number of reasons. They lick to groom themselves and others.
Puppies and the young of wild canids lick the mouths of the adults as a greeting
to stimulate them to regurgitate. As the puppies grow older, the licking becomes
a way of welcoming others back into the pack and increasing the bonds between
the pack members. This has developed into the licking tendency of pet dogs.
Licking is a way our dogs greet us and confirm their relationship with us.
Rolling In Smelly Things
Dogs may choose to roll in foul-smelling things to mask their scent, just as wolves
do. Some behaviorists feel dogs roll in smelly things to 'advertise' what they have
found to other dogs Unfortunately many domesticated dogs have held onto this
disgusting instinctive trait. And unfortunately, instincts can seldom be unlearned.
Many of us have given a dog a bath only to find him running outside to again roll
in something foul.
trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social
situations. Much of their natural instinctive behavior revolves around learning how
to interact with other members of their species.
Domestic dogs prefer living in a social environment, and generally consider "their"
humans as part of the family. As puppies, their play with other family members is
important as it teaches them how to properly interact.
In some families, they share their lives with humans, other dogs, and even cats.
In these social settings, they need to know who is the leader in their social group.
Well-trained dogs are taught to look at their humans as their leaders.
Helping your dog to gently and consistently know what is acceptable behavior, will
help him/her be more comfortable. Not knowing what is expected can be very
stressful, as can sending mixed messages.
Knowing what normal dog behavior is will help you understand why your dog
does what he does. This can help prevent some behavioral problem from
occurring, and can help you retrain your dog if bad habits develop.
Barking
Some breeds were bred to bark. Figure out the key triggers of your dog's barking.
Perhaps it's the mail carrier, children getting off the school bus, the neighbor
coming out , or daily joggers. Try to reduce the opportunities as well as the
incentives to misbehave.
If trigger events occur outside, bring him indoors before the triggers appear. He'll
be less likely to bark when shielded from the opportunity. When he barks and the
targets bypass or leave your property, this reinforces the barking behavior - and
your dog figures he did his job well.
If you can't avoid the trigger events, re-focus his attention on you. Do this by
using small treats and praise. Try to catch and stop him before he emits his first
bark. Give the correction and command "no!" or "quiet!" Immediately praise him
verbally and use tidbits to reinforce the praise. Keep this up and he will learn it is
more pleasant not to bark.
The key is to break the barking cycle. To the dog, this cycle is: "Detect trigger
person/event ... barkbarkbark...feel good and useful...the trigger leaves...my
barking works great...I'll do that again!"
Chewing
Chewing is how young dogs explore their environments and mature dogs relieve
stress. Move chewable objects out of reach. Take up throw rugs. Shield or hide
power cords. Spray Bitter Apple on furniture legs and wood trim. Make sure your
dog always has access to his own chew toys. iLmit the number of toys you give
your dog, or he'll think nearly everything is fair game. Make a conscious effort to
reward your dog for playing with the right toys.
When you catch him chewing something off-limits, direct him to "leave it" Teach
him this command using positive reinforcement. When the dog drops the item,
praise him lavishly and give him an acceptable substitute to chew.
Digging
Digging is instinctive and deeply ingrained in dogs. Dogs dig for a variety of
reasons.
If you leave your dog out alone in the yard for any length of time, he may dig just
for something to do. Provide toys to relieve boredom.
Escape. Your dog may want to leave a fenced yard because there are so many
more interesting things to do elsewhere.
Hoarding. Dogs are instinctive hoarders. They will bury bones or other treats 'for a
rainy day' when they may need them.
Any dog may dig to excavate a den. Canines have an inherent instinct to hide out
in dens. If they do not have one available, they will 'make their own.'
Certain breeds, such as Terriers and Dachshunds, were bred specifically for their
ability to dig out game, such as badgers, foxes, and otters. Thus they have an
even greater digging instinct.
Provide your dog with a place where he is permitted to dig. Train him, with praise
and treats, to dig in that spot and not in an inappropriate place. Provide a sandy
area, with a lot of shade. Sand is much easier to clean off than dirt.
Jumping and Mounting
Jumping and Mounting are often behaviors dogs choose to seek a higher rank in
the pack. Sometimes they just jump out of excitement. Keep people from exciting
your dog to the point of jumping up, barking or nipping. Jumping can be
discouraged by just ignoring the dog until he settles down. Simply turn and walk
away. Provide a treat and attention only when the dog sits calmly on command.
Nipping and Biting
Young dogs gnaw and nip. This is unacceptable behavior that will continue and
grow worse, if not corrected. A dog will test the limits and to see who's boss. The
root of a dog's biting may be in lack of early socialization, fear, dominance,
confusion over his role in the pack, or a health problem requiring a trip to the vet.
If your dog tries to nip during play, command "no" and immediately stop playing.
Turn his eyes to meet yours to emphasize the point. You must feel and convey a
leadership role. As soon as he calms down, say "good dog." Use your dog's name
when giving praise; don't use it when in the act of correcting.
Chewing, mouthing, digging, jumping, chasing, barking) are natural, normal
behaviors for a dog. But you can control and replace them with desirable behavior
by taking the time to work with your dog.
Licking
Dogs lick for a number of reasons. They lick to groom themselves and others.
Puppies and the young of wild canids lick the mouths of the adults as a greeting
to stimulate them to regurgitate. As the puppies grow older, the licking becomes
a way of welcoming others back into the pack and increasing the bonds between
the pack members. This has developed into the licking tendency of pet dogs.
Licking is a way our dogs greet us and confirm their relationship with us.
Rolling In Smelly Things
Dogs may choose to roll in foul-smelling things to mask their scent, just as wolves
do. Some behaviorists feel dogs roll in smelly things to 'advertise' what they have
found to other dogs Unfortunately many domesticated dogs have held onto this
disgusting instinctive trait. And unfortunately, instincts can seldom be unlearned.
Many of us have given a dog a bath only to find him running outside to again roll
in something foul.
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About Us/ Contact Us
History of The Dog
Acquiring A New Dog
Responsible Ownership
Canine Behavior
Dog Grooming
Special Dogs
Kennel Clubs
Breed Specific Clubs
Breed Rescue
Puppy Mills
ALL ABOUT CATS
History of The Cat
Acquiring A New Cat
Feline Behavior
Feline Grooming
Cat Breeds
Purebred Cat Rescue
HEALTH FOR YOUR PET
Health Articles
Diet & Nutrition Articles
Natural Nutrition
Pet Health Supplements
Pet Treats
Pet Insurance
Pet Safe Home Products
PET RESCUE
PET FRIENDLY TRAVEL
Pet Travel Goods
PET SUPPLIES
Care & Grooming
Pet Furniture
Agility Equipment
Pet Toys
Pet Fashions & Clothing
The Pet Boutique
Fur Fins & Feathers
Book Store
PET GALLERY
PET RESOURCES
About Us/ Contact Us
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