Why Is the Dog Doing That?

(Is it winter yet?  I'm tired of being hot.)

Hi, all.  Lily the Corgi here.  Around our house, we often hear phrases like, "Stop licking, Sadie."  Or, "Drop that, Lucy."  But one thing we hear almost daily is, "What is that dog doing?"  Well, usually, it is clearly evident what is being done; that question really means, "WHY is the dog doing that?"  Usually this question follows on the heels of a behavior the human finds disgusting or embarrassing.

Apparently dog behavior still confuses humans.  Humans just don't appreciate the exuberance of a good squirrel chase, the beauty of a howled melody, or the aroma of a stinky, dead thing.  Experts claim that humans are mentally superior to dogs, but how can this be if humans can't understand something simple like poop eating?

So, today I thought I'd talk with you about a few of the dog behaviors that seem to stump humans.  (Hehe...I said "stump."  Who knows more about cute little stumps than a corgi?)

(Sadie went to the groomer for a summer cut.  Lucy and I are trying to establish her true identity.)

Why do dogs sniff each other's butts?  Simply put, butt sniffing by dogs is the human equivalent of a handshake--just a simple means of getting acquainted with or renewing an acquaintance with someone.  When dogs first meet one another, we have to butt sniff to get to know the newcomer--who he is, what he eats, where he lives, who does his taxes, etc...  After a time of absence of a known dog, we butt sniff to make sure this is still the same dog, to find out what she's been up to since we saw her last, and whether or not she's been getting any preferential treatment by the humans.  Humans seem to be uncomfortable with dogs who butt sniff, but next time you see it, just think handshake.  Come to think of it, some dogs have lowered themselves to participate in this weird handshake ritual of yours; perhaps it is time you reciprocated by doing a little butt sniffing for us.

Why do dogs hump?  Now, this is a behavior that really makes humans squirm.  Dogs will hump a human leg, a pillow, another dog, whatever.  Well, the experts say there are many reasons your dog may hump something.  This can simply be a means of relieving tension; a dog will often display mounting behavior if he/she is stressed, nervous, or upset.  Does your dog try to hump the leg of a visitor to your home?  Maybe the dog is nervous about the visit.  Mounting can be a show of dominance--the humper is showing the humpee who's boss.  We have this go on in our house a lot; my neurotic sister Sadie will hump on my beagle mix sister Lucy.  I have a theory that Sadie is to afraid to challenge me so she feels she must show everyone that she is superior to someone, so she picks on poor gentle Lucy.  (Another phrase you hear at our house is, "Sadie, no sister humping!)

Finally, mounting behavior may actually be a display of sexuality, especially when done by an unneutered animal.

(We do a lot of over-peeing at our house.)

Why do dogs feel the need to overmark each other (or as we call it at our house, over-peeing?)  You've all seen it...one dog pees and another dog immediately steps over to pee in the exact same spot.  Dogs pee to "mark" a spot or territory.  An overmarking simply means the second dog is having none of that possessive behavior and is, in effect, erasing the claim of the first dog.  My parents laugh at my fur-siblings and me sometimes; all 4 of us are expert at the over-pee.  Sometimes the over-pee can go through 2 or 3 rounds, but make no mistake, I will always have the final pee.  I am the queen around here, after all.

Well, those are just a few dog behaviors that humans can't understand.  Next time, I'll talk about some other things like excessive licking, crotch sniffing, and butt scooting.

Hope you are keeping cool in all this heat and that your dogs refrain from embarrassing behavior this week!

Til next time,

Love ya,

Lily the Corgi.