Why Does My Dog... Archives - Vetstreet Leading Pet Care and Health Resource Sat, 29 Jun 2024 07:47:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.vetstreet.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/vetstreet-favicon.png Why Does My Dog... Archives - Vetstreet 32 32 Why Does My Dog… Thrash His Toys? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-thrash-his-toys Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:32:24 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=404 If you own a dog, you’ve no doubt witnessed it a million times: Fido picks up his favorite squeaky toy, and then proceeds to shake it as hard as he can from side to side. What gives? The Story Behind the Behavior Simply put, this is killing behavior, says Dr. Margaret Gruen, a clinician at […]

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What gives?

The Story Behind the Behavior

Simply put, this is killing behavior, says Dr. Margaret Gruen, a clinician at the NC State University Animal Behavior Service. “Evolutionarily speaking, that motion is how dogs would capture and kill their prey — by grabbing and shaking very hard,” explains Dr. Gruen.

But there’s no need to worry. Really! Although the action is instinctual, it doesn’t actually mean that your pup is in murder mode. For domesticated dogs, it’s an element of play.

“They like the tactile stimulation of the toy hitting the sides of their face,” says Dr. Gruen. “It’s just another part of exuberant play.”

Thrashing is also typically part of another fun canine pastime — tug. And while a lot of dogs may growl and act menacing when someone tries to wrestle a toy out of their mouths, several studies have found that games of tug don’t make pups aggressive. However, exuberant play can get out of hand, and even the friendliest canines may inadvertently bite out of sheer excitement.

How to Safely Play With Your Pup

Obviously, any dog who growls should be approached with caution, since it can be hard to tell whether the growling is playful or a warning sign. When in doubt, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Dr. Gruen stresses that you need to be the one to both initiate and end a play session, so that it’s not only structured but you’re the one in charge.

And like any good parent, let your dog triumph from time to time. “Some people believe that owners need to win every game of tug in order to establish dominance, but that’s actually not the case,” says Dr. Gruen.

For your dog’s safety, make sure that you’re playing with soft, plush toys. “Chewing on hard toys and tennis balls can wear away at their teeth,” adds Dr. Gruen. 

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]]> Why Does My Dog… Smell So Bad? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-smell-so-bad Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:32:24 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=402 Got a dog who’s conditioned you to think that his adorable presence is worth living with despite his foul odors? If your pet smells nasty –– on occasion or full-time –– then you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. The trouble is that it’s not enough to know you’ve got a stinker on your […]

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]]> exactly what I’m talking about.

The trouble is that it’s not enough to know you’ve got a stinker on your hands. It’s in everyone’s best interest to do something about the putrid problem, but that’s not doable unless you know what’s causing the stench.

To help you get to the bottom of your dog’s funky smell, here are some common canine stench scenarios and causes.

Is it his skin?

If your pet’s skin smells reminiscent of rotting fruit or something freshly dug up from deep underground, it’s more than likely related to skin disease. Whether it happens year-round or seasonally, pets with skin conditions, like allergic skin disease and parasite infestations, and the secondary bacterial and yeast infections that can accompany them, can give off a serious stink.

Is it his ears?

Veterinarians file most smelly ear conditions under skin disease — it’s usually tied to allergic skin disease, but it can sometimes be attributed to things as bad as ear canal cancers — but simple ear smell is in a category of its own. I swear my hands will stink of ears all day if I don’t double-glove before working on them.

Is he gassy?

Many chronic gas-passers are merely exhibiting a mild intolerance to one or more ingredients in their diets. However, specific gastrointestinal conditions could be in play, so the seriously flatulent should see a veterinarian.

Is it his anal glands?

These two glands secrete some foul-smelling stuff. Lots of dogs who suffer from anal sac issues are prone to leak the liquid onto their fur, ensuring that the powerful stench follows them everywhere.

Is he a wildlife devotee?

Dogs who like to stop, drop and roll at the sight and smell of a rotting carcass or animal feces will stink long past their date with the great outdoors.

Is it his breath?

Bad breath is almost always secondary to periodontal disease. But some pets may have bad breath that arises from oral tumors or foreign bodies, stomach gases or the effects of kidney disease –– not necessarily just from bad teeth.

Is it a wet dog smell?

Does your dog spend hours in the pool? It’s not an uncommon proclivity, especially with Labs and other waterlogged breeds. The problem is that it also causes a wet dog smell that tends to linger.

Whatever the case and cause, there’s usually a solution. This may include daily bathing, a diet change, anal gland expression, frequent dental cleanings under anesthesia and even surgery for severely afflicted ears. Just rest assured that if there’s a whiff, there’s a way.

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]]> Why Does My Dog… Sniff Only Certain People? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-sniff-only-certain-people Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:32:24 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=403 We’ve all been there: When walking down the street, our pooch will suddenly be very interested in investigating a random stranger, but a minute later, the dog is uninterested in the human who wants to pet him. And so it goes with visitors to the house, people at the vet’s office and other dog owners […]

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So what’s going on? Here are a few theories.

1. The Dog Is Just Saying Hi.

When you entertain guests, does your dog make a beeline for one guest in particular? Does his nose sweep back and forth like a vacuum nozzle — and not always in the most, ahem, polite location? If so, your dog is using his nose to get acquainted. And just as you’re drawn to certain people because they’re more interesting, some people are more fascinating to your dog from a scent standpoint than others are.

Instead of trotting out the usual introductory queries like, “How many brothers and sisters do you have?” and “What do you do for a living?” dogs can, with a single whiff, unearth very personal information about someone. They may be able to detect, for example, what a person had for lunch hours ago or that someone owns three cats, two dogs and walked in the woods yesterday.

In fact, according to Alexandra Horowitz, a canine cognition specialist at Barnard College and author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, a dog’s sense of smell is so discriminating that it could detect a teaspoon of sugar in a million gallons of water.

So depending on what appeals to your dog, he could simply be drawn to the smell of someone’s cat or dog on that person’s clothes, or it may be that, on some undetectable-to-you level, the person smells like his favorite treat.

2. The Dog Smells Fear.

Some dogs have a knack for sidling up to the people who are most fearful of dogs. Is it something in the way these people smell?

Maybe. It could be that fear causes people to sweat a bit more, and dogs pick up on that scent, but they’re probably also reading subtleties in a person’s body language. Or it may be a combination of the two that seems to attract your dog to the people who least want his attention.

3. The Dog Is Just Happy to See Someone.

New research shows there may be plenty going on inside a dog’s head when he uses his nose.

In a study published in the journal Behavioural Processes, unsedated dogs underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while presented with five scents: a familiar human, an unfamiliar human, a familiar dog, a strange dog and the dog’s own odor. The results? The area of the brain associated with pleasure lit up most when the dog was presented with the scent of a familiar human. And even in the absence of the familiar person, dogs were able not only to distinguish that person’s scent, but also had positive associations with it.

The bottom line? Even if we don’t know exactly what the average dog is focusing on as he says hello to people on the street, he clearly knows what he likes — and he’s usually not shy about letting everyone else know, too.

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]]> Why Does My Dog… Dig in the Trash Can? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-dig-in-the-trash-can Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:32:23 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=398 Why do dogs love to dig through our trash? The answer may lie far back in our shared history. According to most experts, dogs were domesticated from wolves by humans several thousand years ago. The speculation is that wolves may initially have been captured as puppies or tamed due to living in proximity to human […]

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According to most experts, dogs were domesticated from wolves by humans several thousand years ago. The speculation is that wolves may initially have been captured as puppies or tamed due to living in proximity to human villages. Why would these wolves live close to human villages? To scavenge our trash for food, of course! 

In the wild, wolves may go several days without eating. They are not always successful in hunting big game every day. We may consider the food we throw out to be garbage, but to some dogs, it is merely food — stinky, ripe, aromatic food! It is a bouquet of scents that are interesting and exciting to them.

Some dogs have developed a game of digging through the trash. Sometimes they find good stuff to eat or fun things to chew on. When they are so engaged in sniffing out an interesting scent, they may scatter the refuse all through the house. The garbage may be akin to a doggie version of a Cracker Jack box — they know there’s a prize inside.

Other dogs have learned that digging in the trash is a good way of getting an owner’s attention, so it becomes attention-seeking behavior. Your dog may have formed the association that, “Every time I drag a tissue out of the trash, my mom or dad suddenly starts talking to me and tries to take my new toy away.” What fun it is for them to play keep-away and have their owners chase them around the house! Whereas if the dog did not get an item out of the trash, the owners may not have paid the dog as much attention.

Stopping Doggie Dumpster Diving

There are several things you can do to help keep your dog out of the trash.

1. Hide the can. This is the best and easiest method. Do not leave temptation out. Put the trash can in a cupboard or pantry. If your dog has learned to open cupboards, use a child lock.

2. Contain the trash. Use a trash can with a tight lid that stays on even when your dog knocks it over. Modern trash cans with motion sensors that automatically open the lid won’t do. Nor will trash cans with step pedals or swinging lids. Dogs have gotten their heads stuck through swing lids, and if a can is heavy enough, a dog sometimes learns to step on the pedal and open the lid.

3. Try training. The one method that requires the most work is teaching your dog to “leave it.” I first teach a dog to turn away or back off from my hand while I am holding treats. Once the dog has learned the phrase “leave it,” then I use that phrase every time the dog goes near the trash. When the dog backs or turns away, I immediately offer him praise and treats. When I am not working with the dog, I put the trash can away. After repeated training sessions, I leave the trash can out for longer periods and offer praise and rewards every time the dog walks past the trash can and does not stop to investigate. I may even go a step further and start with a trash can that does not contain any food. Then, in more advanced training sessions, I bait the trash can with really pungent foods.

As always, consult your veterinarian or pet behavioral professional as a first step when dealing with a pet behavior problem.

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]]> Why Does My Dog Freeze During Our Walk? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-freeze-during-our-walk Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:32:23 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=399 Andrea’s 7-year-old Pit Bull, Baby, frequently “freezes” during walks: She suddenly stops walking, puts her tail between her legs and shivers. Andrea shares her dilemma with Vetstreet — watch the video to hear her explain her situation. Below, trainer Mikkel Becker provides a helpful response to the frustrated pet owner. Dear Andrea, Walks provide enrichment and […]

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]]> Andrea’s 7-year-old Pit Bull, Baby, frequently “freezes” during walks: She suddenly stops walking, puts her tail between her legs and shivers. Andrea shares her dilemma with Vetstreet — watch the video to hear her explain her situation. Below, trainer Mikkel Becker provides a helpful response to the frustrated pet owner.

All featured products are chosen at the discretion of the Vetstreet editorial team and do not reflect a direct endorsement by the author. However, Vetstreet may make a small affiliate commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Dear Andrea,

Walks provide enrichment and exercise for your dog and promote bonding between the two of you. However, if your walks frequently result in Baby responding as if she’s in the middle of a war zone, this is a serious problem.

Identifying the Trigger

Baby’s body language clearly indicates stress and fear: Her posture is low and she’s frozen in place and shaking. In addition, her ears are back, her tail is tucked, her mouth is tightly closed and her brows are furrowed.

Though it would seem that since Baby has walked the same path for so long she should be comfortable there, sometimes the opposite happens. Dogs have an incredible ability to store memories, especially those linked to strong emotions like fear. Repeated exposure when a dog is afraid — or just one particularly frightening experience — can teach her to react with heightened and more immediate fear in the future.

Noise anxiety is fairly common in dogs. Noise phobias frequently begin with fear of a particular stimulus, like thunder. If not addressed fully by a veterinarian, veterinary behaviorist or trainer, the fear may increase to include other common noises, like beeping appliances or car motors.

Sometimes the upsetting noise can be pinpointed. You mentioned the sounds of trucks or construction in the distance; Baby may be afraid of these sounds. If so, she can be gradually exposed to them. This exposure should be combined with lots of positive reinforcement, like treats and praise.

Generally, a fear of a few specific, easy-to-identify noises, such as the vacuum cleaner or passing cars, is easier to address than a severe fear of a wide range of noises.

Training Tools

The treatment for noise anxiety is specific to each dog. In some cases, medication can be helpful; talk with your veterinarian about this option. Some natural supplements can also be helpful for certain situations, but talk to your veterinarian before giving any of these products to your pet.

Training can also help desensitize dogs to noises; if needed, your veterinarian can recommend a trainer or veterinary behaviorist. During training, your dog should be exposed to the noise she fears gradually and only at a level she can tolerate without becoming stressed or frightened. Programs like Through a Dog’s Ear and DogTV expose a dog gradually to noises such as thunderstorms. You can also record your own sound clips of noises the dog reacts to, such as trucks and construction, and play them quietly in the background while you practice various behaviors like sit and stay with your dog. Be sure to reward with treats and praise. The intensity of the noise can be increased over time as your dog remains relaxed.

In some situations, it’s impossible to remove the panic-inducing noise from the dog’s life. Continual exposure to frightening noises can reinforce and heighten your dog’s fear. In this situation, the Happy Hoodie and Mutt Muffs can be useful for some pets.

Get Baby Moving When She Freezes

In your case, the goal of training is to reduce Baby’s fear of the noise and her subsequent freeze.

When Baby freezes, it’s important to be patient. Do not force her out of the freeze; wait for her to move again on her own. A dog who freezes can become upset when forcibly moved, making an already negative situation worse. She may react defensively and bite if handled or moved. For this reason, waiting the fear out is often the best answer.

Situations where Baby becomes upset are best avoided until she can gain confidence and create new associations with various noises. At first, this may mean taking her out only in limited, low-key situations, such as around the block or on the front sidewalk. Gradually, her safety zone can be expanded to areas with greater activity and noise as long as she remains comfortable and relaxed.

A fearful dog can sometimes be redirected before she panics, especially when fear is caught in the early stages. When you find yourself around noises that scare Baby, downplay your own anxiety, which dogs perceive and react to, and ask Baby to do something she likes to do, such as shake or heel. Have her perform these known behaviors in rapid repetition with high-frequency rewards as you move away from the potential source of stress. 

A lesser known but sometimes effective way to redirect a dog’s fear is to stimulate a hard-wired, innate response. Our Pomeranian was afraid of thunder; we would distract him from his fear by howling ourselves. He would join the howling and forget about being afraid, which gave us an opportunity to engage him in a different activity in a quieter area of our house. Chase is another innate behavior that can be used to redirect some dogs. Take off at a jog with fast and abrupt movements, or use a chase toy, like a stuffed animal on the end of a rope, to get Baby to move.

Seek professional help if Baby’s fear is severe and frequent; the sooner this is addressed, the better the chance she will regain her confidence on walks. With the right training, I’m sure you will be back on the trail in no time.

Pawsitively Yours,

Mikkel Becker

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]]> Why Does My Dog… Like to Eat Weird Things Out of the Trash? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-like-to-eat-weird-things-out-of-the-trash Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:32:23 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=400 It is totally understandable from my perspective why dogs eat items out of the trash. That’s because trash potentially contains food items or wrappers that smell like food — and that’s a powerful incentive for any dog.  There are lots of reasons why a dog may engage in this behavior. Generally, the reasons are pretty […]

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There are lots of reasons why a dog may engage in this behavior. Generally, the reasons are pretty benign and explainable. For example, many times the items a dog pulls out of trash may retain some food odors on them. Other times, even though the trash may not contain any edible items, the “trash can” smell on the item may still be enticing enough to interest a dog. Some dogs may have learned that if it smells like “trash,” then it potentially may be edible. Dogs can also develop a preference for chewing on certain textures. Sometimes a dog may pull items out of the trash can just to chew on them but not necessarily ingest them. For example, when my puppy was younger, he loved to chew on the corner of cardboard boxes. As he matured, he retained some of his preference to chew on cardboard boxes if we allowed it. Now that he is older, he does not necessarily knock the trash can over to get at those items but, if he has easy access, such as being able to stick his head into a smaller trash can, I have no doubt he will go in and pull a cardboard item out to chew on.

A Sign of Something More Serious?

Sometimes trash-can diving can be a sign that something else is afoot, either behaviorally or medically. When I am dealing with a patient in my practice who is ingesting certain items, I may need to delve into the dog’s history. More information may be needed that will help paint the picture as to why a dog is exhibiting that particular behavior and searching for a particular item. For example, I have had cases in which a dog pulled all items out of the trash and destroyed them, but this behavior only occurred when the owners were absent. When the owners were home, the dog left the trash alone — even if the humans were out of sight in another room. This type of behavior may be a reflection of the dog’s level of anxiety during the owners’ absence, and not a search for specific trash items. There are also some dogs who enjoy pulling items out of the trash whether to chew on, eat or just to throw around the house. They probably see the trash can as a puzzle toy full of surprises! 

For a few dogs, however, eating weird things out of the trash can be a sign that something is wrong. There are certain medical conditions or medications that can increase a dog’s appetite or cause an upset stomach. If, as a result, a dog is hungry and it is far from meal time, he may scrounge around and try to retrieve items out of the trash to eat. If he is experiencing gastrointestinal upset, then ingesting an item and having something in his stomach may help ease that uncomfortable feeling. But this can lead to a whole host of medical problems, from foreign-body obstructions to ingestion of toxins. If your dog is frequently ingesting inedible items, have him examined by your veterinarian immediately to rule out an underlying medical issue.

Trash Tips

If you have a trash-loving dog, here are a few quick tips to help keep your trash where it belongs. For starters, keep in mind that cans where you step on the pedal or ones with motion-sensor-activated lids generally wind up being simply new puzzle toys for your dog to figure out. For example, I have seen my 110-pound Rottweiler step on the pedal by accident and figure out that the lid magically opens!

More helpful is to get a sturdy can that has a locking lid for your kitchen. Another good idea is to store your trash can in a pull-out cabinet. You will need to purchase child locks to keep the dog from pulling out the cabinet. If you have room in your pantry, that is a good place to place your trash can and close the door. For some persistent dogs, I have had owners place their trash can outside the house or build a bin outside to prevent their dog from knocking over the trash can.

The bottom line is that trash cans are an attractive source of food or great-smelling treats or chewables for most dogs, so do your best to keep your buddy safe and out of the trash!

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]]> Why Does My Dog… Sleep Belly Up? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-sleep-belly-up Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:32:23 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=401 There are no solid stats to reflect the incidence of dogs willing to sleep belly up, but an informal survey of the dog owners you know will probably reveal something like this: 5 to 10 percent of pet dogs sleep with their bellies bared on a fairly regular basis. But these squishy stats are for […]

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But these squishy stats are for pets only. Perhaps not surprisingly, sleeping belly up is not a common behavior among wild canids. Their greater security concerns are likely responsible for an unwillingness to bare all. After all, to offer up one’s soft underbelly when you’re already at your most defenseless is not exactly in a predator’s best interest –– much less in his nature.

And this may help explain why some pet dogs are more willing to sleep with their bellies exposed than others. It seems that more relaxed, easy-going dogs are over-represented among those who regularly assume a belly-up position –– the dogs most temperamentally distanced from their wild cousins.

Of course, there’s a lot to be said for the role of socialization as well. Dogs who engage in this behavior tend to be secure, well-socialized individuals who enjoy safe, stable, comfortable surroundings.

So what does that say about dogs who aren’t into baring their bellies?

Probably not much. It seems this favorite posture is a preference above all else.

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]]> Video: Why Does My Dog… Lean on Me? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/video-why-does-my-dog-lean-on-me Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:29:19 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=1415 Is your dog a leaner? Does he press himself against your legs while you’re standing in the kitchen or lie on your feet when you’re sitting on the sofa? If so, you’ve got a leaner. You may have heard that your dog is trying to dominate you with his weight, but Dr. Patty Khuly is […]

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]]> Is your dog a leaner? Does he press himself against your legs while you’re standing in the kitchen or lie on your feet when you’re sitting on the sofa? If so, you’ve got a leaner.

You may have heard that your dog is trying to dominate you with his weight, but Dr. Patty Khuly is here to dispel that myth and reveal the truth about why dogs lean against their people.

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]]> Video: Why Does My Dog… Tilt Her Head? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/video-why-does-my-dog-tilt-her-head Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:29:18 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=1417 Does your dog tilt her head? If you have a canine who does this adorable behavior, you’ve probably wondered what it means. There’s actually a lot going on there, and it involves the science of how dogs hear, their understanding of human language and even reinforcement from you! You may also have heard that dogs […]

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]]> Does your dog tilt her head? If you have a canine who does this adorable behavior, you’ve probably wondered what it means. There’s actually a lot going on there, and it involves the science of how dogs hear, their understanding of human language and even reinforcement from you!

You may also have heard that dogs who tilt their heads are smarter than those who don’t. Dr. Sarah Wooten weighs in on this claim, and much more, in the video below.

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]]> Video: Why Does My Dog… Lick the Muzzle of Another Dog? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/video-why-does-my-dog-lick-the-muzzle-of-another-dog Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:29:18 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=1416 Have you ever seen your dog lick the muzzle of one of his canine friends? You may wonder if it’s the doggie equivalent of a kiss — or if it signifies something else. Dr. Sarah Wooten breaks down what this interesting dog behavior means and what you should do if you see it happening. More […]

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]]> Have you ever seen your dog lick the muzzle of one of his canine friends? You may wonder if it’s the doggie equivalent of a kiss — or if it signifies something else. Dr. Sarah Wooten breaks down what this interesting dog behavior means and what you should do if you see it happening.

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]]> Video: Why Does My Dog… Kick the Grass After Pooping? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/video-why-does-my-dog-kick-the-grass-after-pooping Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:29:18 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=1414 Does your dog kick the grass after pooping or perhaps after going to the bathroom in general? As dog owners, many of us see behavior like this every day. But have you ever stopped to wonder what it means? Is it territorial? Is it normal? Dr. Sarah Wooten answers these questions and more in her new […]

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]]> Does your dog kick the grass after pooping or perhaps after going to the bathroom in general? As dog owners, many of us see behavior like this every day.

But have you ever stopped to wonder what it means? Is it territorial? Is it normal? Dr. Sarah Wooten answers these questions and more in her new video below.

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]]> Video: Why Does My Dog… Walk in a Circle Before Lying Down? https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/video-why-does-my-dog-walk-in-a-circle-before-lying-down Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:29:18 +0000 https://www.vetstreet.com/?p=1418 You’ve seen it before: Your dog looks for a place to curl up then starts turning in circles — and even scratching or digging at bedding or carpeting — before finally lying down. So what’s up with this odd sleeping habit? In the video below, Dr. Sarah Wooten explains why this curious behavior probably has […]

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]]> You’ve seen it before: Your dog looks for a place to curl up then starts turning in circles — and even scratching or digging at bedding or carpeting — before finally lying down. So what’s up with this odd sleeping habit? In the video below, Dr. Sarah Wooten explains why this curious behavior probably has to do with your canine’s ancestry and when this behavior should be cause for concern.

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