10 of Your Most Burning Questions About Dogs Answered by an Expert
We all know and love our dogs so fiercely, but there will always be things about them we just can't figure out. Sometimes it's a weird habit, sometimes it's a training aspect that never quite stuck, and sometimes it's an odd way they react to something. For me, I've never been able to figure out why my dog eats weird things like grass. (She eats a lot of other weird things that are just far too disgusting to mention. Silly dog.)
Because we expected other dog owners to have similar burning questions about their pups, we asked you for help. We got several questions from our readers that we combed through and sent off to our expert. Providing us with answers is Dr. Brian Hare, cofounder of Dognition and director of the Duke Canine Cognition Center. Brian, who has worked closely with Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND, has extensive knowledge of understanding dogs' cognition. He has spent years studying animals and is at the top of the field when it comes to dogs' intelligence. Read through to find out his answers to what you, our readers, wanted to know most.
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- Why does my dog eat grass? It doesn't happen all the time, but I'm just curious if it is a nutritional thing she is missing.
There's no need to worry; many dogs eat grass from time to time. No one really knows why, but there are probably several reasons. Your dog could be self-medicating because they don't feel well, and one study found that if dogs seemed to be acting ill, they were more likely to vomit after eating grass. But most dogs that ate grass had nothing wrong with them at all. Wolves tend to eat grass from time to time, which they could be doing to treat intestinal worms. Some dogs like particular kinds of grass, some like grass at different times — like after rain — and some dogs just randomly eat grass. Grass won't usually hurt your dog, but if the grass has been sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers, this could be harmful. If your dog seems ill after eating grass, or if they suddenly start eating a lot of grass, take them to a vet.
- Both of our dogs take their food from their bowl and eat it from a distance . . . and we're not sure why.
Do they take their food to the same place together, or do they prefer being further away from each other? Do they go to the same places all the time, or do they change locations? If you moved their bowls to where they seem to prefer to eat, would that help? Maybe they just want a little privacy while they eat.
- What do dogs think when they see other animals that are not dogs?
Well, we know that dogs are smart enough to recognize different people and different dogs. So they definitely know when something is not a dog. If it's something they've seen a lot, they might be uninterested and just ignore it. If they are prey driven, they might see anything smaller than themselves as something to chase. Or they may only chase certain types of animals, like squirrels and not chipmunks. If they came across a new animal they have never seen before, like a tiger, I'm guessing they would know they should be nervous.
- Do dogs understand what we say or do they understand us better from body language?
Dogs use all different kinds of information, which is what makes them special. They are unusually good at reading our body language, but they can also learn a lot of words — a friend of mine called Chaser knows the names of over 1,000 toys! Dogs also listen to the tone and volume of your voice, and they can even pay attention to which direction your eyes are looking. For me, the most incredible thing about dogs is that they are so motivated to understand us. It's as if they know that communication is the key to any good relationship!
- Our family dog, Delphi, licks the air anytime we scratch her back. It's the cutest reflex, and I have no idea why she does it!
We all do funny things while we're concentrating or having fun. We curl our toes, arch our backs, or stick our tongues out. I'm a foot jiggler, myself. Your dog is probably just having an involuntary response to feeling good.
- Does my 11-year-old dog remember things from when he was a puppy?
We don't know a lot about memory formation in dogs. We do know that after two years, a dog seems to remember their mother, but not their brothers or sisters. Getting puppies socialized to certain things definitely matters in terms of how they respond to those same things later in life. But whether your dog remembers places, people, or things from his puppyhood, we just don't know.
- I'd like to know why our family Shih Tzu sometimes acts like he is terrified of walking up or down stairs. I've even seen him attempt to slowly walk up steps and paw at the next step like he isn't sure how to climb it. Other days, he goes up and down without any problems.
There's no easy answer to this one, but I'd suggest collecting more data. Try using a diary to see if you can pick up any patterns. It is at certain times of the day? Like in the early evening when the shadows on the stairs are longer? Or in the morning when your dog might feel stiff from waking up? Try and see if you can find anything in common with the times your dog is doing this, and take the information to your vet.
- My last dog used to sing whenever we played music (either played piano or music on the radio) or sang. I know it didn't bother his ears because he would run to the source of the music. Was this a pack mentality kind of thing?
I've seen this too — my dog Tassie howls when we howl. I tried to do a study on it — and we tested 50 dogs, and no other dog howled when their owner howled. He seems truly joyful when he is joining in — his tail wagged and he kept nudging us. I guess some dogs just like musical concerts of any kind!
- Our Beagle gets very scared when people sneeze. Why?
I sometimes get scared when people sneeze. It's a startling sound. You could try giving him a warning?
- Why does my dog stare blankly at walls/doorways/ceilings as if she is staring at something/someone us humans cannot see (creepy!). Also, I'm certain she has FOMO (fear of missing out). Is that possible?
It depends on how old your dog is. If your dog is young, it could be lights and shadows. But if it's an older dog that might be having an increase in anxiety (manifested as FOMO), then this could be a symptom of cognitive decline. If this is the case, then I would talk to your vet.