16 Your Dog November 2017 http://www.yourdog.co.ukQ
Why does my
dog scrape the
ground with his back
legs, often just after
he’s weed?A
This is a good question,
and the answer is,
once again... we don’t know
for sure!
Many animals (including
bears) do this, not just dogs
— and both male and female
dogs do it. Studies by Marc
Berkoff showed that about 10
per cent of dogs scratch the
ground in this way, and while
the same number of males
and females do it, males do it
more often.
Ethologists have some
ideas that it’s possibly done
to spread the scent from
the dog’s urine or faeces
as widely as possible, to
let everyone know they
were there (like a Facebook
status!). It may be to
disperse a scent from the
glands in the dog’s paws,
as a way of communication
to others. Leaving scratch
marks might even be a visual
demonstration that the dog
has been there.
It’s defi nitely a form of
communication — but what
it says, we aren’t exactly sure.
It’s one of those doggy things
that reminds us no matter
how much we’d like to, we
don’t know everything that’s
going on in our dogs’ minds.Q
Why does my dog chase
his tail?A
There are several reasons why dogs chase
their tails. The fi rst is that it’s a fun thing to do
from time to time that burns off excess energy, and
many playful dogs and pups do it for fun, in the
same way children spin around in the playground.
There are other times, however, when it can be
more worrying — and anything but fun. Anal gland
problems, skin problems, and parasites can have
a dog spinning to try to scratch, chew, or get
relief. In some dogs, it can also be a sign of an
obsessive compulsive disorder. If your dog is
chasing his tail relentlessly and can’t be distracted,
go to your vet immediately.o
ddQ
Why does my dog roll in smelly
things out on a walk, particularly
fox poo or fi sh?A
This is one of those things that dogs love to do and
owners absolutely hate! This is a behaviour which
probably goes way back in our dogs’ ancestry when they
had to hunt their prey. Rolling in poo, rotting carcasses, or
dead fi sh was a great way for dogs to disguise their scent, so
they had a better chance of confusing and getting close to
their intended dinner without being detected. They probably
choose fox poo above all others because it is the strongest
smelling, so hides their scent the best.
Rolling in something fabulous may also be a way to
communicate to the rest of the group what wonderful thing
they have found. Lots of animals use scent to communicate to
other members of their group (bees learn about food sources
by smelling it on the bodies of their sister bees). It might just
be that they love the smell and use it like a teenage boy with
some overly pungent aftershave, thinking they smell awesome!A
There can be several reasons for this,
depending on the rest of the dog’s
body language. Some dogs get really
excited when they see another dog and
crouch in anticipation of a game or a fun
interaction; they look like a coiled spring
of anticipation. Others do it because they
are worried about the approaching dog.
While most people know that dogs
have a fi ght or fl ight response, they don’tknow that there are other behaviours
which can be triggered in the same way.
There aren’t two Fs; there are fi ve: fi ght,
fl ight, freeze, fi ddle about, and faint. All
have the same purpose — to survive
a potentially dangerous encounter
— and this particular behaviour is the
freeze part: lie down, don’t react, don’t
provoke any interaction, and hope the
scary thing goes away!Q
Why does my dog lie down in the middle of the path
and refuse to move whenever strange dogs approach
him on a walk?Some dogs will freeze when
faced with a perceived threat.Just for fun... or
something more?Most dogs love
the smelly stuff!Image: KA9 Photo.14-16 yd why does MJ SWCC.indd 16 22/09/2017 12: