10 Odd Dog Behavior And Their Meaning

It's in our nature to project human characteristics and feelings onto dogs—until you witness your dog playing in the mud. There isn't a human emotion you can tack on to that kind of action, but this video might just be able to help you explain some typical dog behaviors.

So stick around, and we'll answer ten pressing questions about odd dog behaviors!

Number 10: What causes them to "run" in their sleep?
As you might expect, this typically indicates they're dreaming, which, luckily, isn't dangerous. What's more, research has shown that particular dog breeds play out their distinctive features when dreaming, such as an English springer spaniel chasing off prey or a pointer "pointing" in its sleep. If all of the "running" during sleep appears to be excessive, it might be a sign of hidden stress or an underlying health issue.

Just like in humans, oversleeping in dogs can sometimes indicate illness. Animals have complicated dreams and may retain and recall extensive events and actions while sleeping. Dogs go through both REM and slow-wave sleep. However, REM is the more profound stage of sleep and dreams occur to individuals at this time. Canines spend little time in REM compared to humans, which is why a dog needs longer sleep to feel refreshed. Dogs may respond to their dreams during REM sleep by swinging their legs, crying, or even howling, which explains why canines run in their sleep.

But sometimes they might just be oversleeping because they're exhausted... which is totally fine! Dogs' sleep patterns differ depending on their age, size, and physical activities. So consult it with your vet to know if there are any abnormalities.

Number 9-Why do they keep barking at the window?
Have you ever wondered why your dog quickly runs to the window and barks at sights and sounds outside your door? Are you wondering why your dog keeps warning you every time a random person or another dog passes by your front gate?

Believe it or not, wolves bark far lesser than domestic dogs. It's because barking is a feature that we individuals picked for in our dogs!

So, before punishing your dog, remember that we developed them this way, purposefully choosing it for the "watchdog" quality that benefitted us.

When the delivery person comes to bring the mail, your dog starts barking every day. Is this canine behavior merely a sign that canines dislike mail carriers? Barking at passers-by is a protective response. Dogs see their home as their territory, and anybody approaching or nearing it is viewed as a possible threat.

Similarly, they bark to scare off unknown visitors. From the dog's point of view, they save the house from an attack every day by scaring the invader away.

And we rarely recognize their efforts. So next time your dog runs to the window to bark at the mailman, give it a pet and thank it for taking care of you!

Number 8-Why do they roll around in nasty stuff?
We've all been in that situation. You're bringing your dog for a walk to soak in the fresh air and enjoy the wilderness, and it happens to get distracted. Your dog discovers something quite gross and starts rolling on top of it, paws in the sky, completely covering himself in whatever nasty stuff it has found.

You've undoubtedly questioned yourself why on earth dogs do this, especially when it's one of those mysterious, stinky things dogs find. After all, dogs have pretty strong noses... they have up to 300 million smell receptors in their nostrils, while humans only have six million. With all those sensors, you'd think their strong scent orientation would keep them away from unpleasant scents, like those of dead animals, but it's not the case.

The activity of rolling in dead or particularly stinky stuff is supposed to have evolved as a means of masking the dog's scent, which helps them hide their scent from prey while they hunt.

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