Dogs are one of the most adorable pets in the world to keep and have around your home, some even consider them as humans’ best friend. There are a lot of benefits for keeping a dog aside from security reasons. A dog can help overcome loneliness, depression etc. However, it is important to understand your dog’s behavior because if you do not, it could lead to severe situations like having a sick dog or even being attacked by the dog.

Every pet has behaviors peculiar to their species and the dog is not an exception. That being said, here are 5 weird dog behaviors you should know, what they imply, and how to handle the situation.

Sniffing the butt of other dogs

A lot of people get worked up when they see their dog sniffing the butt of other dogs. Some even think that it is possible for the dog to contract some communicable diseases from this behavior, but this is absolutely untrue. 

So what does this weird dog behavior mean? Just as eyes are our most important organ as humans, nose is the most dominant for dogs. They rely more on smelling that just seeing things. So when your dog is sniffing the butt of another dog, chances are high that the dog is a new one. Now your dog is doing this so as to get helpful details of this new dog. Right there at the butt of a dog is an anal gland. This anal gland gives a lot of helpful information about a new dog. Some of the information that a dog can gather through sniffing the butt of a new dog includes the following.

  • The gender of the new dog
  • The health condition of the new dog
  • The last food the new dog ate

Research has proven that for dogs, they have a power of smell that is about ten thousand times more that of humans. So they rely on this for a lot of things, and getting information from new dog friends is one of them. Aside that, the act can also be used by dogs to ask and answer social questions like, how are you? can you be my friend? etc.

So the next time you see your dog sniffing the butt of another dog, you don’t have to get worked up or worried. Your dog might just be making a new friend, so instead be delighted for him or her.

Rubbing their butt on the floor

Many times, if you were to see your dog rubbing his butt on the floor, this would be really perturbing. Well, this is one issue you have to watch out for if you really care about your dog and yourself because the possibilities of what could be happening could be vital especially when the dog does this in your house.

So the possibilities for this behavior are twofold. The first one is that your dog has just pooed and it’s trying to clean up its butt. Now if you find your dog doing this somewhere far away, then it shows how hygienic your dog is. But if your dog is fond of doing this in the house, maybe on the carpet or rug, you need to find a way of correcting this behavior because they will mess up the house and you will have a lot of cleaning to do. 

The second possibility is that your dog is having a health condition, and this is the infection of the anal gland. Another health condition that it could be is tapeworm or flea issues. For this, you may have to visit a veterinarian. 

It is important that you do not make assumptions and take your time to study your dog and why it behaves the way it does, before concluding on what to do.

Running after his/her tail

Most dogs tend to run after their tails a lot, and while it seems like a natural habit, there are also some health conditions attached to it. So if your dog is fond of running after his/her tail, you might want to ascertain that it isn’t as serious as you fear.

Ordinarily, dogs tend to be very playful, even more than humans. For them, running after their tails is just a way to catch some fun. Sometimes, they also do this to get attention. Dogs are smart and they know that this behavior will have their owner looking at them. So who knows, your dog might just be playing a trick on you. 

However, a dog running after his or her tail can also be a situation of discomfort, probably when they injure their tail. Here they are trying to touch the tail and relieve themselves, so it is more of an instinctive act.  It could also be a heath issue mostly bites from parasites like ticks, or an irritation of the skin on the tail. If this is the situation you can look to help them with it.

Even though running after own tail is very specific to dogs, doing this at all times may mean that the dog is disordered.  The most important thing is to understand your dog well.

Dog always gazing

Are you worried about your dog staring at you more than necessary recently? Well this could actually be quite disturbing if you know your dog well and it is not in its habit to gaze for long. So what could be wrong with the dog, and what can you do about it.

Dogs are very lovely pets, and one of their attractive features is the eyes. When a dog gazes are you, it is possible to tell if they mean any harm, if that is the case, you will most likely see the aggression in their face. A dog will only gaze at you if they think that you are a form of threat, or when they are not comfortable around you.

A dog gaze can also be a way to appeal to you. Here you will feel the calmness and the affection in their eyes. When a dog looks at you this way, it might be that they want you to be affectionate towards them, or you have in your possession something they want from you.

To understand the gaze of your dog better, one thing you should look out for is their body language as well. When a dog stares aggressively, its body would be in a position where it is ready to attack. But for persuasive gazes, the dog would most likely be calm or in a sitting position. 

Dropped ears and low tails

This is another dog behavior that you should be aware of. When a dog has dropping ears and fallen tails, these behaviors are signals shown to communicate discomfort, stress, anxiety, nervousness, apprehension and uncertainty to name a few. These warnings are crystal clear in dog to dog language, but unfortunately humans, unless taught, do not know this. When you ignore these signs, behavior problems can arise and potentially, even dog bites.

If you understand the dog and you know activities that can bring it out of this mood, then try making the dog feel better. But if it is not a dog you are really familiar with, it is better to let it be so it does not harm you. 

 Just like human beings, dog have mood swings too, and it could be as a result of various reasons that we as humans might not understand. But with time, the dog would tend to become lively again because being active is their most natural state. 

Conclusion

For behaviors that have to do with health conditions make sure that you seek immediate medical attention for the dog. It is also important that from time to time you take your dog for medical checkup. This would help on how you can deal with some of the aforementioned behaviors.