Well, if you are a dog owner you probably know that these adorable furry creatures sometimes do some things that we do not really understand and that is why we love them! The truth is that dogs are not as mysterious as cats and they share with us even the strangest side of their behavior, and sometimes, it is quite difficult for us to understand their body language and social cues. So, it is important to understand them and correct them if necessary. 

We all love our pets more than anything and we’d literally do everything for them! They need us, our love, affection and understanding, so we should try our best to make them feel happy and comfortable. 

Here are some medical reasons behind your dog’s weird behaviors and we hope that you will understand their behavior better once you notice these things. Read on for more info!

When it suddenly gets the ‘zoomies’

If you are probably wondering what those ‘zoomies’ are, if you weren’t already aware its real name is Frenetic Random Activity Periods (FRAPs) and refers to that random explosion of energy that dogs have on occasion. These zoomies manifest as repetitive behavior in which the dog runs in circles throughout the house or garden or spinning around. 

This hilarious activity that makes you smile every time you see your pet spinning around should really make you happy because they do this to show you how happy they are. 

 According to Leanne Jakubowsky, DVM, owner of All Creatures Mobile Clinic in Austin, Texas, “It’s a way to release pent-up energy, but only happy, healthy dogs get the zoomies.”

So, do not worry when you see this because it means that they are really happy and you are doing everything right. In other words, you are a great owner!

There are some dogs that love to get the zoomies after a bath because they feel so good. “It feels so good to move and shake off all that water and anxiety. Steer [pets] to safe areas… and take care to protect yourself and your knees as a dog with the zoomies could crash into you,” Dr. Jakubowsky said. 

You should see a vet if your dog is repeatedly spinning around and chase their tail

As I said before, it is perfectly normal to see that your dog is spinning around sometimes, because it means that it is really happy, especially after a bath. But if you see this behavior often and it excessively does this habit, then it is time to see your veterinarian as soon as possible. “Excessive spinning and tail chasing often has a more sinister cause,” explains Dr. Jakubowsky.

So, this frequent spinning can mean ear infections, brain lesion or seizures and you should immediately see a vet because the health of your pet is in danger. Your veterinarian is the only person able to give you a clear verdict on the health of your dog. So, make sure that you and your dog are safe and healthy!

Doing circles before taking a nap

If you are a dog owner you probably know that your pet will walk in circles for a few minutes before taking a nap, but this behavior is perfectly normal. In fact, humans do the same, because they adjust their pillow before sleeping. “Pets are just trying to make a comfy spot,” said Dr. Jakubowsky. So do not worry about that!

According to Dr. Jakubowsky, “There is probably some instinctual basis for this behavior – wolves making a warm, safe spot to bed down for the evening.”

Your pet can eat grass as well

Yes, even dogs can eat grass and this is a normal behavior. “There is probably some ancestral basis. Our dogs’ ancestors probably did it as a cathartic – it helped them clear out foreign bodies and parasites due to the high fiber content of grasses.”

There are some dogs that really enjoy the taste and this is why they like to eat grass sometimes. But, even though your dog loves to eat grass and this is an instinctive behavior, you should stop it from doing this, because its health can be adversely affected. “It can lead to a mat of grass in their stomach” and this can also cause other issues or require surgery, especially since your dog has a “sensitive oral mucosa and esophagus can get a grass cut, just as your finger does.”

Nevertheless, one of the reasons your dog eats grass is because it needs some essential nutrients and a nutritional deficiency can lead to severe health problems. So, make sure that your dog follows a high quality and healthy diet. You can talk to your vet about the diet of your pet and he will help you with everything you need. 

What does it mean if your dog eats poop?

If you own a dog, you probably know that it eats poop sometimes and it seems that it is a normal behavior. So, next time when you see that your dog is eating poop you will know the reason.  

“Some students citing up to 25% of dogs exhibiting this behavior,” said Dr. Jakubowsky. This behavior is called ‘coprophagy’ in medical terms and this usually comes from the past from their ancestors, because wolves ate feces to survive when they had no choice. Or it may be caused by malabsorption diseases.

Moreover, some dogs can eat their own poop when they are treated badly by the owner. For example, if the owner adopts an aggressive training with his dog and the pet has an accident and poop in the house, it will eat its own feces to hide the accident because it is afraid of its owner. “Don’t spank or be heavy-handed with your dog when he has a house training accident,” said Dr. Jakubowsky. If you do this, your pet will think that its poop will be punished so it will want to get rid of the evidence. In addition, dirty conditions can lead to eating poop, so try to keep their environment clean. 

 Your dog winks when they have something in their eyes

Even though it looks really cute when your dog winks at you, the reason is not that adorable. So, your dog winks when it has something in its eyes or experiences a dry eye. 

However, many dogs wink when you have eye contact because they want to show you that they are friendly and do not want to hurt you because staring is a sign of threat to dogs. So, yes this action can be angelic and sweet in this case. 

Sniffing butts is essential for dogs

Well, we have to admit that it is pretty embarrassing when we see that our dogs are sniffing their butts, but we have to keep in mind that even though it may be silly to us, it is essential for them to make new friends… or foes. 

When a dog does this, it means that it wants to know more about the other pet and it is important because this way it will know how safe it is. So, if the other dog lets your dog complete its mission, that means they will become friends.

“Imagine you have 300 million olfactory receptors in your nose,” said Dr. Jakubowsky. “With a quick sniff, they can determine whether their sniff-ee is male or female, happy or sad, scared or stressed.”

Dogs rolls in the grass because they are happy and want to play

According to Dr. Jakubowsky, “Dog roll in the grass for the same reason children roll on the grass – it’s soft, smells good, and is just fun.”

Well, it seems that dogs love unpleasant smells and they really like to roll in those smells. So, next time when you see that your dog has this behavior, you have to know that it is because there is something smelly on the grass, such as a dead insect or animal, urine or musk smells. 

Do not worry if you see that your dog is carrying its food in every place of the house

There are many dogs that carry their food in absolutely every place of the house before eating, but this is a normal behavior. According to Dr. Jakubowsky, “Your dog is just protecting his valued resource.”

So, they move their food because they want to protect it and they are afraid that someone might steal it. This is really cute, right? In addition, dogs are very influenced by our reaction and our voice is very important in this case, because if we have a positive reaction and laugh or smile they will continue to do so, but if we have a serious tone, they will no longer have that behavior. 

Humping is normal in dog behavior

If you have a dog, you probably know that it likes to hump your leg, another animal or different toys and this behavior is perfectly normal. 

“Of course, this [behavior] can be sexual, but often [it] is just playing or even [a display of] aggression/dominance,” said Dr. Jakubowsky. 

It seems that this behavior is very common among dogs that have not been socialized or that are poorly socialized and it usually happens when the dog is too excited and wants to dominate the situation. 

Moreover, dogs like to hump different toys because it feels good and this is a normal behavior, but if your dog does this too often then it is time to see a veterinarian. 

They become agitated when they sleep

We are allowed to do what we want when we sleep and this rule applies to animals as well. Just like humans, dogs are able to dream and this is why your dog moves their feet or barks when it sleeps. 

So, you will often see this behavior when they sleep because it is a result of dreaming and it is normal. You can look in their eyes though because “you will see the rapid eye movements happening behind their closed lids,” said Dr. Jakubowsky. When their eyes are twitching and moving it means that they are in a deep sleep. 

If you think that your dog can suffer from seizures during sleep, you should call your vet as soon as possible. 

Isn’t it cute when your dog tilts its head?

“The outside of the ear flap is called the pinna and the dog can use it much like a radar dish to hear better,” said Dr. Jakubowsky. So, when your dog does this, it means that it wants to hear better a noise. 

It seems that your dog knows that this is a cute behavior and wants to take advantage of it when it needs something from you, such as a hug, attention, treats or affection.