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| answered a question | Why does my dog follow me around? Your dog has survival instincts that revolve around three primary things: food, water, and territory. When your dog associates your home as being his home as well, it becomes a matter of survival for him. Your dog's instincts will set in and he will "patrol" his territory, making sure there are no "predators". Patrolling alone is never smart, even for humans. We instinctively know that we are more vulnerable when we are alone. Your dog feels the same way. As you move about your home, your dog doesn't want to be left alone, as it would make him feel vulnerable, and neither does he want you to feel vulnerable. So he follows you to ensure the safety of both you and him. Patrolling territory has always been a cooperative task. |
| answered a question | Why does my dog eat snow? Our dogs ancestors have had to survive in far harsher environments than they do today. It is thought that dogs (and wolves) ate snow as a way of staying hydrated during the winter, when fresh water was frozen or unavailable. This instinct to stay hydrated is still with our dogs today. Perhaps your pet is eating snow because they are not getting enough water throughout the day. Make sure your pet always has plenty of water! Another reason dogs may eat snow is because they may be dealing with underlying diseases that cause them to consume greater amounts of water than they normal would. Known as polydipsia, your dog drinking excess water may be an indication of diabetes, kidney failure, thyroid disease, and other ailments. Monitor how much water your dog consumes, whether it be through the water bowl or by eating snow, and consult your vet if it seems abnormal. More than likely though, your dog is just curious about snow, and is eating it to see what it is all about! |
| answered a question | Why does my dog lick me all the time? There are many reasons why your dog will lick you. A majority of the time, licking is a show of affection from a dog to its owner. Dogs will also lick other dogs as a greeting, very much in the same way humans will hug each other when they meet a friend or relative. Also, it's been thought that dogs may actually enjoy the taste of the salty skin humans have. Your dog may also smell any sweat, food, lotions/soaps, and anything else that may be on your face, peaking their curiosity and causing them to investigate further by licking. |
| answered a question | Why does my dog sleep in a ball? Dogs will sleep in curled up, ball-like position for two reasons. First, they do this to conserve body heat. Keeping body parts close together and preventing body heat from escaping will help your dog stay warm. The second reason dogs sleep in a ball is to protect their vital internal organs from any attacks by a predator. |