Decode your dog’s behaviour: 17 dog behaviours explained

“Many dogs are anxious or uncomfortable about interacting with other dogs,” says Dr Summerfield. “This can be due to genetics, negative past experiences, or a lack of adequate early socialisation as a puppy.” A dog may lunge forward and bark at another dog to keep it from getting too close – a dog park etiquette no-no you should watch for.

Other dogs may hide or cower behind you, while some just lay down in an overly submissive posture because they’re fearful or uncomfortable with the situation. “It’s not uncommon for a dog to be wary of other dogs but very friendly towards humans – or vice versa,” she says.

Let’s start with the most licked area of the body: the face. “Licking the face, especially around the mouth, is a normal, friendly greeting behaviour that dogs often display towards other dogs when saying hello. This is usually seen as a submissive gesture, a way of saying, ‘Hi there! I’m no threat to you!’” says Dr Summerfield. So it’s perfectly natural (and adorable) for a dog to lick a human face too.

What about other body parts? As far as feet, fingers and in between toes: the stronger the smell, the higher the attraction. “This may be due to the higher concentration of scent in these areas, which is also why many dogs are attracted to dirty socks and dirty laundry,” she says.

Is your dog a paw licker? Here are 7 of the most common reasons dogs lick their paws.

The bottom scooting boogie is a comical dog behaviour to watch, but it may also be one of those things dogs do to let you know they’re sick. What’s going on? The answer is kind of gross: They have plugged or infected anal glands.

“Normally, these sacs express their contents, a very pungent-smelling brown fluid, when the dog defecates. But occasionally the sacs might become plugged or infected and have a hard time emptying on their own,” says Dr Summerfield. To relieve the discomfort, they scoot their butt on the floor. “If this happens, your veterinarian can normally resolve the problem by expressing the glands manually.”

Why does your dog put its paw on you? All dogs are quite tactile, so this is their version of holding hands, according to Dr Varble. “Have you ever seen pictures of foxes or wolves playing or sleeping side by side in the wild? Although most dogs don’t like the restraint of a hug, they like to make contact with their closest friends by placing a paw on their friends, and human companions are no different,” she says.

Your pup may also put its paw on you to let you know it’s ready to play or to ask you to keep petting it after you stop. It’s one of the telltale signs you’re not showing your dog enough attention. “It is a great way to get our attention, and it always seems to work,” says Dr Varble.

Why do some dogs bury their bones (and other treasures) or stash them behind chairs or under a stack of pillows on the sofa? Dr Richter says this is a purely instinctual dog behaviour. “They are keeping track of their stuff,” he says.

To prevent their treasures from being stolen by another animal, they hide them for safekeeping. Dachshunds, a breed known for stashing, may have a cache of toys and treats nestled in the corner of a dog bed. Some breeds known for hunting, like hounds and terriers, are prone to digging and hiding, as the prey they hunt lives underground.

Dogs can be dead to the world when they’re sleeping, but they’ll instantly come to life and sprint to the door when it opens. This dog behaviour is similar to ours when we’re surprised by something – we jolt into action to see what’s up. But for a dog, there’s a little more to it. “This is an instinctive self-protection behaviour. Something has moved suddenly and unexpectedly, and they don’t know what may be coming through the door,” says Dr Richter. Some dogs, including guard dog breeds, take it further and bolt through the door because they want to investigate potential threats and defend their space.

There’s a good chance you’ve seen your pooch collecting found objects during its walk. These could be anything, really, from a stick to a used mask someone dropped. “Dogs use their mouths in much the same way that human children use their hands. Many dogs are naturally curious about the world, and if they find an object interesting, they may want to pick it up, hold it, or carry it for a while,” says Dr Summerfield.

Wonder what your dog is thinking about while collecting these treasures? It’s probably less complex than you imagine. They’re really curious, like toddlers. And they’re attracted to certain objects the way toddlers are to their blankets. That’s especially true of sporting and retrieving dog breeds.

A dog’s tail can express a wide variety of emotions, and with close observation, you can decipher the secrets of what your dog’s tail is trying to tell you. For example, a low-wagging tail with a wide, sweeping arc is a friendly wag, while a high, stiff tail may indicate aggression or arousal. But why do dogs wag their tail to the left?

“Recent studies on dog body language do suggest that there may be a difference as to how the left- and right-sided tail wags are interpreted by other dogs and in how the dogs feel when wagging their tails to the left versus the right,” says Dr Summerfield. In the study, dogs remained relaxed when they saw images of another dog wagging its tail to the right, but when dogs saw the image of the tail wagging to the left, it stirred up anxiety. More research is needed, but it indeed points to the tail as a key communicator.

Now discover 12 other secrets your dog’s tail is trying to tell you.

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Source: RD.com