How to Understand Your Dog Better

Understanding our dog’s behaviors means we’ll get to know them better. With that in mind, we at 5-Minute Crafts will explain to you what some of them mean.

1. Exposing their belly

If your buddy is exposing its belly to you, you might as well consider it a request for a belly rub. However, they’ll also do this when they need to show submission. It’s important to know how to identify both because petting a dog who’s showing submission can make it nervous.

A dog who wants a belly rub will be loose will have its mouth open, tail relaxed, and eyes opened or squinty. In contrast, a submissive dog will show itself tense, its mouth will have the lips pulled back, and its eyes will be wide open and usually looking into the distance.

2. Circling before pooping

Circling means a dog is guaranteeing it’s safe, making sure nothing can attack it while it’s squatting. It’s also cleaning the area before pooping because it’s an important method of communication for them.

3. Sleeping with their eyes open

Dogs have a third eyelid that, when their eyes are open, retracts back into the corner of the eye. They can’t control it, though. Sometimes when they’re asleep but their eyes are slightly open, it’s not their actual eye we’re seeing, but this third eyelid.

However, some dogs do sleep with their eyes entirely open. It might be because they want to stay alert in case a predator shows up.

4. Scooting

Your buddy might be scooting because they’re feeling an itch around that area or even pain. Inflammation and food allergies can cause this. However, it’s not healthy for them to do this, so, if your dog is scooting, book a vet appointment as soon as you can.

5. Sleeping on your clothes

Your dog sleeps on your clothes because they smell your scent on them. Clean or dirty, they’ll still be able to tell they are your clothes specifically, and because of that, it makes them feel safe.

6. Howling

A dog will howl in response to high pitched sounds, like sirens and music. They’ll also often howl when another dog does it, demonstrating they hear it loud and clear. A howl can have lots of meanings, though, some of which can be asking for attention, or helping their pack find them in the wild.