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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Inexplicable things your dog does

23 replies

Madamacadamia · 02/08/2015 21:04

Can anyone explain this? When I put food down for my dog, especially something he really likes, he turns round and seeks a long, long, eye contact with me. It is not aggressive, and if I were anthropomorphising I would say he is showing appreciation or thanks. But I try not to anthropomorphise. Maybe it is just one of those random behaviours that evolution throws up, that get retained because it has useful results (ie humans like the dogs that do it, and keep them for breeding). Any other ideas?

OP posts:

weaselwords · 02/08/2015 21:11

Mine are usually transfixed and driving, so you may have a unique dog.

MostAmused · 02/08/2015 21:42

Mine lies on his back with his legs in the air loudly squeaking his toy before he crashes out for the night, must find it comforting, very cute though :)

MissRainbowBrite · 02/08/2015 21:42

Mine likes to wee in deep puddles, she has a favourite puddle in our local field that she waits until we get to then purposefully squats down and wees. No idea why, does it feel nice for her!
Also, if she has a big bucket of water out in the garden to drink from she sticks her nose under and blows bubbles, can't figure that one out either. Strange creature!

Mermaid36 · 02/08/2015 21:45

One of mine feels the need to 'kill' several bits of his kibble before eating the rest of his food. He'll grab a couple of pieces, throw them in the air and around generally, play bow and bark at them a bit, before eating them and then eating the rest of the bowl uneventfully.... Weirdo!

Bubble2bubble · 02/08/2015 22:24

When I come home Ddog3 always meets me at the door with a random object - a cushion, shoe, toy, or whatever has been lying around - like a welcome home present. This afternoon DH had been out and when ddog3 heard the car I saw him quickly run off to look for something to take to the door for DH. Very cute, but a bit weird...

insanityscatching · 03/08/2015 08:42

Eric pees on every hedgehog he comes across (which are loads tbf) after trying to get them to play, which obviously makes them curl up, he gives up and pees on them. He also attempts it with frogs but they don't oblige and stay still for him.
Bubble Eric always gets a gift ready when he meets us too
Eric always has a pre walk snack so he brings me his lead and then finds a bit of kibble or a piece of his biscuit that he stashes for before his walks. It makes me laugh because it's as though he's going on an epic adventure and doesn't know when he'll be back.
Eric likes to hold hands so he sits next to you on he sofa and puts his paw in your hand and stays there like that for as long as you sit with him.

ShuShuFontana · 03/08/2015 08:55

our first dog would belt down the beach and squat to poo in the breaking waves
...that made picking it up quite the Krypton Factor Challenge.

One of our GSDs used to scuba dive in the water bowl as a pup....face right under, blowing bubbles and everything, he'd also try to dig out the water, thank goodness he grew out of it.

Both the boys have the annoying GSD habit of not swallowing the last mouthful of water, just looking up and wandering off with it pouring over the floor, but that's not inexplicable, it's just them.

Zac does a really weird stretch, starts at his bottom, plants his feet and you can see him stretching all up his back, out to his front legs, up his neck, ears get pricked up like radars, and his chin right up in the air, stretching right up and out, and completes it with a yawn right in your face. Which is not that nice.

ShuShuFontana · 03/08/2015 09:00

insanity you reminded me, MissPoosInTheSurf used to love to play that game where you pile your hands up, whip out the hand at the bottom and slap it on top of the pile, she'd spot the children doing it and rush over to join in....only the one paw though, she couldn't manage to play properly with two.

Toooldtobearsed · 03/08/2015 09:02

Bubble mine does that too - she presents everyone with a gift. If she gets told off, she will find something to bring to you - oven gloves, tea towels, anything she can grab quickly.

The window cleaner knocked on the door last week to return a cushio, a shoe and a dish cloth she had lovingly presented him with.

DiL has been on the receiving end of one of my bra's and a pair of socks.....

She also climbs onto a garden chair, reaches as high as she can and picks apples from the tree. Plays with them, throwing them around, then eats them.

Ddog 1 just watches her, does big sighs and goes back to sleep

Bubble2bubble · 03/08/2015 09:14

So funny- why do they do that? And outside the house ddog3 will not retrieve anything,no intention of it..
I have one who like to have his paw held as well. I have to explain to visitors that when he sits beside them on the sofa and stares at them that this is what he wants and of course no one thinks I am weird at all

ender · 03/08/2015 10:15

My lab loves blackberry season, he eats all the juicy black ones he can reach then pees over the unripe ones.

SteveBrucesNose · 03/08/2015 10:22

OldGirl has to twirl at each landing in a staircase when walking down. Makes going down stairs on a lead nearing impossible

She also points with her nose as to where she wants you to put things - pointing her nose at it, then where she wants it, then back at the thing, repeat until you've obeyed. Like where the water bowl goes on the floor, or where her food bowl goes, or the dog poo bin and the bag of her shit.

NewGirl is under training and we're trying to get her to stop jumping up and hugging people. So she now greets people by standing up dead straight on her back legs like a meerkat. If you move, she hops along until you talk to her. Weird creature

SteveBrucesNose · 03/08/2015 10:23

BoyDog also used to pee only on one plant in the grounds of our complex. He'd be bouncing around desperate for a pee, but would hold it so he could destroy that one bush. It died. The maintenance guys replaced it, the new one lasted about 2 months

Frolicacid · 03/08/2015 10:36

Frolicdog does the greeting you with a present thing as well. Mostly dh's slippers or any scarfs of mine left within reach.

She's very good at ignoring people when out and about, but every now and again will spot a random stranger and run up to them like they're a long lost friend. She will be inside out with excitement and then a bit disgruntled when they ignore her or I call her back.

StarsInTheNightSky · 03/08/2015 13:35

Some great and very sweet things on this thread!

Ddog3 (12 month old rescue Fila Brasiliero) loves playing dress up with toddler DS, she'll go to his dress up box, fish something out of it, bring it to him, drop it at his feet and then sit patiently waiting for him to put it on her. Her favourites are a feather boa and a cowboy hat (at the same time). She then prances found in them for ages, until ddog1 takes them off her and puts them back in the toy box.

Ddog2 (rescue adult Caucasian Ovcharka) thinks everything is out to get me, a weed that trips me up, the bubbles in the bath, you name it, he needs to supervise just to make sure they don't try anything, and its not comfortable sharing a bathtub with an eighteen stone dog

Ddog1 (rescue adult Caucasian Ovcharka) seems to think that DS is a deity who must be appeased, she repeatedly brings him offerings toys, lies down a couple of places from him, and prods them towards him with her nose, or gently places them in his hands, she does this again and again until she finds one he wants, then her smug face comes on. Then she will spend ages playing ball with him, he rolls it to her, she nudges it back to him with the tip of her nose. She adores him and hates being further than two steps from him at any time.

basildonbond · 03/08/2015 15:17

DDog (2 year old Toller) has a morning ritual with his beloved Blue Dog (a now very manky, ridiculously girly sausage dog toy which he inexplicably adores - all other soft toys get disembowelled, Blue Dog gets carried around and cared for ...). After breakfast he gets BD out of the toy box and then he wants to be chased round and round the kitchen table - this is apparently hilarious

He also has an odd thing with his water bowl. He only really likes drinking from it outside so he'll stand next to the back door and make a rumbly, growly noise which means I'm thirsty. We have now been trained to carry his (full) water bowl outside whereupon he will deign to drink from it ...

NoelHeadbands · 03/08/2015 16:04

If we're on a walk and there's no long grass to pee in, N Dog will wait until there's a grate he can stretch over and pee down that. How tidy.

imabusybee · 03/08/2015 16:27

DDog1 is terrified of hedgehogs & toads & frogs - even tiny ones. He shrivels up tail between legs and comes running to me. Hilarious! At bed time he has a routine where he gets under the covers with me, sleeps for about an hour then gets up has a drink & then settles on top of the duvet for the rest of the night. When we're at the beach he likes to run face first through the sand getting sand all over his eyes & moustache but he loves it!

DDog2 does a good meerkat impression - she's a rescue & we're working on her not jumping up & putting paws on worktops so she now just stands on her hind legs and walks alongside the counter front paws at her side like a meerkat snooping with her nose on the counter. Cracks me up!

Paperthin · 04/08/2015 13:56

I am laughing out loud at some of these! Mine - 3yo Lab - will bring shoes as gifts when any of us get home. If we ever tell her off, she goes to get something to bring us to make up for her transgression! I often find her sitting in her crate looking after a tea towel - pinched from the oven door - and I still don't know how she reaches them....well I do but have never seen her leap up! She also does the "eyes" thing - looking at (my) dinner, eye contact on me, then dinner ... Hoping I will crack and give her the plate! Also she wees on every, I mean EVERY mole hill we come across, without fail.

Catzeyess · 05/08/2015 15:21

Our ddog has almost zero prey drive when it comes to small furry things however he loves (and is very good at!) catching flies. He is almost catlike!

Catzeyess · 05/08/2015 15:25

He also has been learning recall and sometimes he misjudges his speed so we will call him back crouched down and he joyfully races back ploughing into us at great speed.

Lokibuddyboo · 09/08/2015 01:51

My ddog a jackhuahua ( Chihuahua cross Jrt) he also likes to sit next to me and will nudge my hand till I hold his paw.
He also loves to sit on my shoulder sometimes he falls asleep there has done since he was 8 weeks old, he has incredible balance doing it I can even make a cup of tea with him there lol and he hates it if someone is upset or crying he absolutely has to get on their lap make sure they are ok and lick their tears away.

entredeuxmers · 09/08/2015 08:21

Hah, these are so cute!

Any crap like seed pods or bits of vegetation that I pick out of older dog's ears or fur has to be eaten (by her, not me). She gets really upset if I don't offer it to her.

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