Why Dogs Bring You Random Items: Communication or Play?
A hairbrush is an odd thing for a dog to deliver. It doesn’t squeak, bounce, dispense food, or look much like anything you would normally throw across the room.…
communication
Why Dogs Make Funny Noises: What They’re Communicating
Wolves, the closest living relative of the domestic dog, barely bark at all. Researchers who study wolves generally describe barking as a relatively uncommon part of adult wolf communication.…
Sensory, Quirky & Play Behaviors — How Dogs Explore the World
Dogs experience the world in ways that are very different from people. Their senses are sharper, their curiosity is constant, and many everyday behaviors reflect how they investigate sounds, scents, objects, movement, and the people around them.…
Why Dogs Boop You With Their Nose: Communication or Curiosity?
The room is dark except for the blue-white glow of your phone. You’re halfway through reading something when a cold, damp nose presses into the back of your hand.…
Why Dogs Tilt Their Heads at Certain Words: Sound or Memory?
Some dogs seem to save their best head tilts for a remarkably short list of words.
You can talk through an entire story and get nothing. Then you say ‘ball,’ ‘walk,’ or the name of a favorite toy, and your dog’s head tips sideways almost on cue.…
Dog Behavior Explained — Complete Guide to Understanding Your Dog
Your dog did something today that made you stop and wonder. Maybe they followed you into the bathroom again. Then they started pacing for no obvious reason or dropped a toy at your feet for the fourth time in an hour.…
Communication: How Dogs Share Information and Understand You
Your dog looks at you, glances toward the leash hanging by the door, then looks back. A moment later, he paws your leg.
Which part was the message?
The useful answer may be the whole sequence.…
Affection, Attachment & Bonding: Why Dogs Stay Close to the People They Love
Some dogs seem to organize their day around a person. You stand up, and they stand up. You walk into the kitchen, and footsteps follow a few seconds later.…
Why Dogs Shake Off When Not Wet: What It Really Means
A visitor kneels to greet your dog, the interaction gets lively, and then the person stands up. Your dog steps away, plants her feet, and sends a ripple from her head through her shoulders, ribs, and tail.…
Why Dogs Yawn When You Do: Contagious Yawning Explained
Here’s the experiment: put a dog in a room with a person. Have the person yawn several times. Then repeat the setup with similar mouth movements that aren’t yawns.…