Canine Instincts and Behavior

Why does my dog ignore my commands?

While there may be a variety of factors influencing a disobedient dog (illness, poor training by previous owners, etc), it is usually the case in a healthy canine that he or she is simply asserting ‘dominance’.

In other words, your dog wants to be the ‘pack leader’, and views you as a non-Alpha member of his pack! This desire to be Alpha-dog exists in both the male and the female, and is not limited just to big dogs. Even little dogs may try to assert dominance, although they’ll often do it in more subtle, manipulative ways.

Some signs your dog is trying to ‘one-up’ you:

* Ignoring commands to ‘come’, ’sit’, ’stay’, etc.

* Refusing to eat or being a ‘picky’ eater - make sure there is no underlying physiological cause, however.

* Whining to be picked up, held, or carried.

* Jumping up on the furniture

* Shows of aggression during play or other times (not directly attributable to a threat or spotting of prey) when there is no known history of past abuse that could account for fear and/or aggression in your dog.

It is important to note that dominance displayed through aggression is more common among certain breeds of dogs. Most pet owners realize this for what it is because it is such a stereotypical behavior.

The subtler tactics, like whining for attention, jumping on furniture and arbitrarily ignoring commands, are often a dog’s way of “leading you around” without aggression. Once your dog learns that he can get you to give in from frustration, he will continue with the behavior.

Why does my dog need to sniff absolutely everything?

Your dog’s sense of smell is one of his survival tools. Far more developed than our human sense, your dog can ‘read’ a variety of information from the scents he picks up

When your dog stops to sniff another dog’s bodily waste products, he can determine that dog’s sex, level of dominance, readiness to mate (if female), how long ago that other dog was in the area, and even some ‘psychological status’ cues about the other dog’s level of fear or contentment.

Dogs also perform the famous ‘crotch sniff’ on humans to gather similar information when the human is a stranger. Once a dog knows you, however, he or she is more likely to sniff your legs and armpits. No one is sure yet what the difference is between these two sources of scent-based information.

Why does my dog kick up dirt after ‘going to the bathroom’
Both male and female dogs possess an instinctual drive to mark territory. Males, however, are more territorial as a general rule and more likely to display the ‘dirt-kicking’ behavior.

There are two reasons for this behavior, and both have to do with your dog’s desire to increae the likelihood of his territorial marker being noticed by another dog.

First and foremost, kicking up dirt and grass creates a visible change for another dog to notice and investigate. Second, your dog is releasing fresh, new scents from the ground that will catch attention. Both of these are ‘flags’ designed to catch the attention of other dogs and lead them towards the waste product.

Why does my dog like to roll around in things that stink?

Every dog owner has faced this scenario at one time or another: Your out for a pleasant walk when, all of a sudden, your dog races towards a pile of droppings, garbage or unknown dead thing, then he rolls around in it with perverse glee.

It’s not simply that your dog has bad taste in cologne!

Dogs prefer the smell of decomposing organic matter to hide their own scent from predators as well as prey.

Why does my dog howl to certain types of music?

The short answer is: Because he likes it!   A dog’s range of hearing is similar to that of a human (about eight-and-a-half octaves), but slightly more refined. Your dog can distinguish differences in musical notes as small as 1/8th of a tone.

So, unless you’re playing music at unbearably loud levels, don’t worry: your dog is not howling from displeasure. Any sound (musical or not) that your dog dislike will usually cause him to move to a quieter location.

Why does my dog get along with the other household pets, yet chase the ones in the neighborhood…especially the cats?

It is well known that dogs can live with a variety of other creatures, especially when introduced to them at a young age. Even some older dogs just have a gentler disposition and will befriend cats, birds, rabbits and more, taking them in as part of the ‘pack’.

Strange animals, however, aren’t afforded this tolerance. Anything that is furry and running away from your dog outside is, in your dog’s mind, fair game.

One should be careful, though, even where other household pets are concerned. Your dog and cat, for example, might be the best of friends most of the time - but this does not preclude your dog’s hunting/chasing instincts from being triggered if the other pet exhibits ‘prey behavior’.

What’s up with all these holes my dog is digging in the yard? Should I give him something to bury?

Dogs dig holes mainly by instinct. This is their way of storing and hiding food in the wild. Domesticated dogs still retain this instinct, but don’t act on it as often because their being fed on a regular basis.

If your dog seems to dig excessively, there’s a good chance he’s just bored. Digging is good exercise, and he enjoys all the new smells being unearthed. Try giving him a bone to bury in-between meals if he’s a casual digger. If he’s tearing up the whole yard, try to schedule more vigorous exercise into play time.

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