Dog Behavior Explained 
A rope toy lands on the kitchen floor and the whole mood in the house changes. A dog grabs one end, plants its front paws, and leans back with its whole body weight, a low grunt escaping with each pull, tail whipping, eyes locked on.…
A kid bolts out of the playroom with a foam sword, cuts through the kitchen for a handful of crackers, then bangs through the back door because someone spotted a lizard.…
Most furniture does not suddenly get down on all fours. Your dog may consider this a design flaw.
You crouch to pick something up, stretch out on the floor, or lean over during play, and suddenly there is a dog on your back.…
Two dogs stand at the same window and bark the exact same three sharp notes at a stranger walking up the driveway.
One dog’s tail is a stiff flag, hackles raised, weight leaning back toward the door like it’s already planning a retreat.…
There are easier places for a dog to sit. The couch has cushions. The floor is spacious. Your lap was specifically engineered by human anatomy to be available while reclining.…
A dog can trot through fifty greetings at the park, tail loose and easy. Then it plants its feet in front of one particular dog and refuses to go a step closer.…
Dogs turn out to be surprisingly easy to study when it comes to sleep because their brains cycle through sleep much like ours do.
That overlap is why a twitching, paddling, softly whimpering dog on the couch isn’t a mystery to researchers.…
You glance over at your dog mid-nap and freeze. Their eyes are open, glassy, staring at nothing. Your first thought is probably that something is wrong. Maybe even that you should wake them up.…
Some dogs see the narrow gap between your legs and apparently think, “Excellent. A hallway built specifically for me.”
You are standing at the kitchen counter, waiting at a crosswalk, or trying to have a normal conversation with another human when your dog walks directly into the space between your knees.…
A dog walks a slow circle near your feet, then draws one paw across the rug two or three times before finally lowering herself down. There’s no dirt flying and no floor gouged out.…