Euro Puppy BLOG

Dogs do have rituals too!

Do you want to understand why a dog licks your face excitingly whenever he/she sees you? Or why does your dog buries bones? Are you planning to have a dog or are you a dog owner who wants to understand certain canine greeting, hunting and feeding rituals? Apparently, certain dog rituals could be explained by trying to look on how they were raised, trained or simply their basic animal instincts.

Greeting Rituals
A dog’s greeting ritual may be identified into two major types: One could be licking the mouth or face area of its owner or a visitor or smelling a person’s genital area. You may find it weird whenever your dog manifests these behaviors but it may also be a shock to you to find out how normal it is for dogs.

You may also find your dog jumping on you or on your visitors, which may also be considered normal for them to do. Most people punish or scold their dogs for behaving normally but inappropriate which causes the dog to feel uneasy and tense. Understanding so, it is advised that instead of expressing dismay to your dog’s behavior, you may try to divert this behavior by giving them toys as a form of distraction or an alternative outlet for their excitement and energy.

Hunting Rituals
Ever wonder how dog play works? Well, dog play could basically involve any of these: staring, chasing, nipping, shaking or grabbing. Though dogs may manifest some of these behaviors, it does not necessarily mean all of those should be seen on their dog play. Do not worry if your dog would only enjoy running around unlike other dogs that would wrestle, grab a toy and look like it would tear it apart—your dog is still completely normal.

For those who do not know, these dog play actions are hunting behaviors for survival. Just like their canine relatives such as wolves, your pet dog still shares the same hunting behaviors. Over excitement of dogs could lead from dog play to dog riot. A simple dog play between perfectly normal pet dogs could lead to rumble. So be on the lookout because it may cause pain for your pet.


Feeding Rituals
Ever find your dog burying bones or their toys on your lawn weird? As a part of survival and feeding, it is a normal behavior for dogs to hoard. Still sharing this common normal trait with their wild relatives, hoarding or caching is just a normal act for them to do. You may even find your sweetest and lovable poodle hoarding kernels or kibbles underneath their dog beds or blankets. It is somehow their way of protecting their food, but some of them end up lost or forgotten in due time.

So are you ready to start anew with your pet dog or your future pet? Hopefully, this might have given you a new light in understanding how a seemingly weird behavior of dogs is actually perfectly normal for them.

"No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich." - Louis Sabin

A Rottweiler and a wolf have formed the oddest new relationship in the animal world. As newspapers have been reporting a 150lb Rottweiler called Ulrok has befriended a tiny wolf cub called Beldaran in he Kisma Preserve in Maine, USA . He is a fully grown Rottweiler. She is a tiny wolf pup. They sleep together, frolic in the sun and even howl at the moon in unison.


This is far from the strangest friendship we’ve come across, however. In China, for instance, a Chihuahua adopted an orphaned chick. The dog acted as the chick’s surrogate parent picking it up in its mouth and taking it safely home when it risked getting into trouble. In the US a dog and a giant black bear have been observed by scientists happily together in the captive bear’s cage.

Dogs have also been known to let the offspring of other species suckle from them. Again in China, a kitten and a pair of tiger cubs have been observed feeding off the breast of dogs.
Dogs can even behave well towards their supposed worst enemies - cats. A scientific study found that cats are more likely to be chased if they are running away from a dog. The sight of the fleeing cat triggers a dog’s deep-rooted instinct to carry out prey chasing. Cats avoid being hurt by a chasing dog by learning to freeze and to lie down, with their bodies and head flattened to the ground. Denied the thrill of the chase, the dog will often lose interest.