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WHY DOES MY DOG BURY HIS BONES?
Some dogs are in the habit of saving their food,
bones, toys or rawhide chews by burying them—either in dirt or, much
to our puzzlement, in the carpet. This behavior probably is derived from
the days when some wild canids hunted large prey and devoured large,
"jackpot" quantities of food. To prevent other animals from
snacking on this unpredictable bounty, they would hide the remains and
return later.
Although
the typical pet dog never goes hungry, in some this behavior persists
with food that cannot be finished immediately or toys that a dog will
return to. In an extreme form of food burial, some dogs (usually those
that eat slowly and don't finish their meals) will attempt to bury
individual pieces of dry dog food by pushing them randomly about on the
floor. Is this an indication of food rejection? Could be. Although the
behavior is derived from food-stashing, it's the way some dogs express
culinary ambivalence.
WHY DOES MY DOG ROLL ONTO HIS BACK?
In the lexicon of dog body language, rolling onto
the back may have several meanings. Depending upon the behavior's
context, your dog may be having fun (for example, rolling in grass or
the remains of very dead animals), soliciting a scratch from you or
actively showing submissive behavior.
Dogs are social animals with rank hierarchies
that vary with the company they keep, and a rich vocabulary of signals.
In most cases, the behavior is submissive; however, the occasional
dominant-aggressive dog will roll onto his back simply to ask for
petting, with no apparent submissive intent.
Submissiveness is very useful. It not only
signals that one dog has no intention of harming the other, it also
pacifies the threats of higher-ranking animals. The dog rolling onto his
back thus avoids injury in tense social situations, which may also
include facing an angry owner who comes home to find chewed sneakers. We
all know this is quite an effective tactic.
WHY DOES MY DOG ACT LIKE HE WAS NEVER NEUTERED?
Although we think of mounting as sexual behavior,
it can represent other things (in addition to the embarrassment of
owners), including excitement and play, social dominance, displaced (or,
in some cases, redirected) behavior or even physical disease.
Male puppies are first exposed to male sex
hormones while in the uterus and close to the time of birth. For this
reason, although the effects of this exposure are not fully apparent
until puberty occurs at six to nine months of age, even puppies neutered
early will ultimately behave like males. Dogs neutered as adults may be
even more likely to show later mounting behavior, particularly toward
other dogs, if they had opportunities to mate before being neutered.
Neutered dogs have been known to masturbate, intromit (successfully mate
with a female), and even ejaculate like their non-neutered counterparts,
although this is relatively uncommon.
More
commonly, the social behavior of dogs is expressed through the
"dance" of postures, eye contact and other forms of body
language. When a dog wishes to assert his rank or to challenge the rank
of a second dog, he is likely to rest his head or paw on the other dog's
back. Such posturing is often followed by mounting behavior, or attempts
to mount, which is either protested (at times by fighting) or is
escaped. Dogs mounting their owners are most likely to be expressing
social dominance in this way, particularly when excited.
Rowdy play may similarly lead to mounting. And
gender itself is no barrier to this behavior—females will also express
social dominance, excitement or play by mounting other dogs or people.
Finally, persistent and exaggerated mounting or masturbation may
indicate an abnormality such as compulsive disorder, urinary tract
disease or other physical problems, and should be addressed with your
veterinarian.
Thanks to Ilana R. Reisner, DVM, PHD, DACVB for
article contribution.
Note:
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this site for diagnosis or treatment of any specific situation. Always
consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the medical
condition or treatment of your own pet or animal. The Puppy Place
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