All dog owners have watched on in disbelief as their precious pooches drag their bums along the carpet or eat cat poo. We love our pets so much that it’s sometimes easy to forget they sometimes do strange things. Here are three odd dog behaviours explained.
Bottom dragging – All dogs do it, but it’s still one of their most undignified behaviours. So why do they sometimes drag their bottoms? Most of the time it’s fairly easily explained. Your dog probably just has an itch he can’t scratch. Maybe he’s just been to the toilet and he feels the need to give the glands in that region a bit of a rub. Sometimes, though, bottom dragging (particularly if he’s starting to make a habit of it) can be a sign of a medical issue that needs to be addressed. So head to the vet if it continues.
Nosiness – Your pet has no idea that it’s not cool to walk in on you while you’re having a shower or sitting on the toilet. Most dogs are naturally inquisitive, so will sniff around your bags, lick your visitors’ legs and want to watch you and your partner in the bedroom. This is perfectly normal, as dogs don’t have the same ideas about social etiquette that we do. And besides, they like your company. But that doesn’t mean you have to put up with it. You can teach your dog to stay out of bedrooms and bathrooms, and to give visitors space. Use reward-based training when your dog is polite and respects your boundaries and soon he’ll leave you to shower in peace.
Eating poo – Some dogs seem to just love eating poo, whether it’s his own or some other animal’s. This behaviour, though completely bewildering to us, can be explained. It could be an instinct he has to keep his space clean – just as mother’s will lick up after their newborn pups, a dog will eat the poo to get it out of his environment. If it’s not his own poo – say it belongs to the cat next door – he might be eating it to supplement his diet. You might need to think about getting him a more complete dog food. Chat to your vet about the possible causes of the poo eating, and how to prevent it.
