More great answers for crazy dog questions!!!
There are an amazing number of things that dogs do and we just look at them, scratch our heads and say, why?? Well, there’s a book titled “Why do dogs drink out of the toilet?” that seeks to answer many of the canine mysteries that we question but adore. The book is by a veterinarian named Marty Becker. Dr. Becker took some of the most embarassing questions about dogs that he has ever been asked and tells us the good, bad and stinky?!!
Did you ever wonder why some dogs look like they are doing aerobics when they are just trying to urinate? It appears that they must balance themselves on 3 legs to spray in the very best spot. The reason they do that is to try and insure that their scent is at nose level and the higher it is, the easier it is for the scent to spread. The dog’s scent actually mark their territory. Most males and some females lift their leg to “mark” their spot.
While we identify a good yawn with being tired or bored, Dr. Becker says that a yawn is used to to refresh a dog or calm them down. A yawn brings additional oxygen into the brain. Prior to a competition or in a vet’s office, you can see many dogs yawn to try and decrease the stress they are experiencing.
I will admit that my dog was a “roller” meaning that he enjoyed rolling in whatever rotten smelly dead thing that was on the ground. He also had no hesitation about rolling in another animal’s feces. UGH!!! That totally disgusted me. But according to Dr. Becker, when a dog finds such a “mess”, they are thrilled and it is like a treasure that should be worn like a new outfit. There is also a predatory aspect to it. If a dog (wild or wolf) is hunting prey, they can disguise their scent by rolling in the remains or waste of another animal to trick or fool the prey. Some of that behavior by your family pet is simply genetics and behavioral traits that have been passed along with their DNA!!
This book has some great information. With the writers stike still going on, reading is a great alternative. Check out fellow blogger, JM on The Book Stacks, for more information.
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