– Decoding the Mysteries of Random Barks, Zoomies and those Long, Soulful Stares –
Have you ever looked at your pooch and wondered what’s going on inside their head? Why do they stare at you intensely sometimes? Why do they suddenly zoom around the house? And what’s with the vengeful pillow peeing?! While most pet-parents think they can understand their pets’ behaviours, the truth is, they have a whole secret world of thoughts, instincts and logic, that often make perfect sense only to them. So, let’s take a humorous peek into the minds of our four-legged friends in an attempt to decoding some of their quirkiest behaviours…
The Mystery of Zoomies: Why does your dog dash around the house at random times like he’s possessed? These sudden bursts of behaviour is simply just extra, pent-up energy (could be nervousness, excitement, joy, anxiety) which manifests as a ‘zoomie’. Is it harmful? Not at all! It’s perfectly natural. So, what should you do at that time? Nothing! Let your pooch expend that energy, just ensure they’re in a safe place to do so and won’t hurt themselves. Avoid getting your dog to stop or sit during a zoomie – he doesn’t have the bandwidth during a zoomie to listen.
The Fixed Stare: Ever woken up in the morning to find your dog gazing deeply at you with an unblinking stare? Or looked up from your computer to find the same earnest stare? Is she reading your soul or is there more to this? Maybe your pooch is looking into your soul and judging your deeds, or the maybe they just want your attention or maybe they’re patiently awaiting a walk with you! There could be various meanings behind that soul-searching look.
That Cute Head Tilt: Why do some pets tilt their heads when you talk to them or if they hear a funny sound, or when you sing? As cute as this looks, this endearing behaviour is actually a way for a dog to be able to listen to the sound better. Tilting their heads allows them to pick up on the various pitches better. So, next time you sing and your dog does the head-tilt, it’s probably their way of making sense of your melody!
Random Barking at Nothing in the Middle of the Night: Your first thought – has your dog seen a ghost? Are spirits trying to enter your home? Maybe! Or maybe she’s just detecting other sounds that you cannot hear – dogs barking, cats fighting or your neighbour coming home, and reacting to that, or probably also because it’s a fun way to keep you on edge at night!
Peeing on Your Pillow: Yes, it’s disgusting for you, but for your pooch, its actually an endearing behaviour. Most pet-parents feel a dog urinating on their bed does the evil deed to mark territory or is being spiteful, but in truth, they do it when they feel insecure or anxious. Putting the smell of their urine where your smell is strongest (pillows, blankets, beds and laundry baskets being perfect targets) reduces their anxiety. So, the next time your dog does it, don’t scold or punish. Instead, try to see why they’re feeling insecure and address the situation, if possible.
That ‘I Am Sorry’ Look: Are they really sorry? Science says dogs don’t actually feel guilt… so why do they give you that face? The interesting answer lies in canine communication. The unspoken rule of Doggie World is, when one dog is intimidating or aggressive towards another and the second dog doesn’t want to contest that aggression, he will show submissive behaviour – ears back, crouched posture, a sheepish expression. This helps defuse the situation. So, when you scold your dog and he wants you to stop, he does the same. The problem is we humanise the situation and misunderstand it as guilt or the dog saying ‘sorry’. The truth is, your dog isn’t saying sorry – he’s just asking you to stop being intimidating!
Rolling in Stinky Things: You just gave your dog a bath and he runs straight into the nearest pile of garbage, or poop and rolls with relish in it! Why? It could be because he detests the perfumed shampoo you used and wants to remove the awful smell from his fur. Or, as per dog studies, it’s because he wants to copy his ancestors who would roll in smelly dead animals to disguise their own smell before a hunt. So, as disgusting as it may be to us, it’s perfectly natural for them! (PS – next time you bathe him, try using shampoo that smells like a dead rat – dogs love it!)
So, as you can see, we may never fully understand why they insist on rolling in the worst smells or why ghosts trigger a barking spree. And perhaps, in trying to decode their secret lives, we end up learning something far more important – how to understand them for what they are – dogs, and not as four-legged, furry humans!!!
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