Category: Dogs Psychology
Why Dogs Cock Their Heads Sideways
It wasn’t accidentally that advertizing for the company “RCA” once displayed a dog cocking his head looking at a speaker horn. There’s something with this position that a majority of people see utterly lovable. Dogs know it, too, which is why they do it, even if they are not trying to hear anything in particular. [...]
Understanding Your Dog’s Hearing
Dogs hear a lot better than people do, partly because their ears are incredibly mobile. They have 15 different muscles that can move the ears in all directions. This helps them detect and understand sounds no matter where they’re coming from. Head cocking is a tool they use to hear clearly. Dogs shouldn’t be doing [...]
Why Do Dogs Bury Their Food?
Ancient dogs survived on whatever they could find or catch. If they managed to get more than they could eat in a sitting, they had to make sure it would be there when they came back to it later. “They stored spare food by burying it,” says Benjamin Hart, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor of physiology and [...]
As Pet Owners, We Tend To Forget That Dog’s Are Nature’s Animals
Many years ago dogs were considered as domestic animals for their functional value; hunting assistants, village and stock guards, even body-warmers in bitter cold climates. These basic functions are no longer required by our culture and, the dog’s capacity to cooperate within a group for the common welfare of its members is suppressed. Without some [...]
Body Language: Your Dog’s Movements & What They Mean
Dogs use their bodies and paws to express a diversity of different things. Below are a few examples and what they mean. Your dog bends with his front legs extended, rears up, and and head is near the ground: This is the standard play-bow and clearly implies that “I want to play!” Stiff-legged, erect attitude [...]
How Dogs Use Their Tails As Signals & Gestures
Tail position is an important indicator of social standing and mental state of a dog. There will be some variations, of course, depending upon the natural tail position of the dog: a West Highland white terrier will carry its carrot-shaped tail higher than a golden retriever its flowing, feathery tail, and a greyhound’s relaxed tail [...]
Dogs & Open Car Windows
Experts estimate that dogs can catch a whiff of something that’s one million times less concentrated than what humans can detect. With so much sniff power, it’s hardly surprising that they stick their heads out car windows. They could care less about the scenery. What they’re after are smells.
