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One of the greatest joys of life is having an amazing dog as a loyal companion. There is nothing better than coming home after a long hard day and being greeted by your pup who has been eagerly awaiting your return all day!
Dogs tend to follow their owners every where they go. Whether it’s a hike outside or just going from room to room inside of your house. It is great to have a little fur baby follow you everywhere but sometimes it can be a bit much especially when it comes to going to the bathroom!
Little did you know, when your pup follows you in the bathroom there is a deeper and hidden meaning. Whether you know it or not your furry little companion is always trying to communicate with you. Before we get into why a dog follows you into the bathroom let’s go over some other strange behaviors dog’s do which also have a deeper meaning.
First, if you come home and your house is completely destroyed and messed up your dog is trying to tell you that they are either super bored or suffering from anxiety because they can’t cope with you being gone. Luckily there are professional dog behavior specialists you can bring your dog to so that you can figure out why they are tearing your house apart and what you can do to stop this negative behavior.
A lot of times they just need you to show them a little more love with hugs and cuddles or maybe they just need you to take them on a longer walk everyday!
Second, if you notice your dog keeps hunching over there is a reason for this. The dog is trying to minimize their size because they are scared of someone or something. If they are doing the hunch over when nothing scary is around it could mean that they were traumatized or abused when they were young pups before you adopted them.
The best bet is to talk softly and be gentle and kind to them until they stop hunching over and feel comfortable again in their environment and surroundings.
Third, if you see your pup raise their paw you may want to just step aside and get out of their way. Before dogs were domesticated they would raise their paws before lunging and hunting their prey! This behavior is still imprinted in them, and if your dog is really small maybe just get out of their way to be polite!
The fourth strange behavior is when your pup brings you a dead bird or mouse and leaves it on the floor or even worse in your bed. It can be super creepy but don’t be alarmed, your fur baby is trying to give you a gift. If your dog isn’t the killing type, they may just bring you an inanimate object such as one of their toys or dog bones. Again, just to be clear they are just trying to be thoughtful by giving you a present to show you their appreciation and love.
In the worst case scenario your dog may bring you their poop or you may notice they are eating their poop. If this is happening there is a good chance they are desperately seeking more attention from you. They could be anxious or extremely stressed. If this unwanted behavior keeps occurring over and over again it would be a good idea to bring them to your local vet or a professional dog behavior specialist to get to the bottom of the underlying issue and fix it.
The fifth behavior is when a dog sits on your feet to keep you warm or move closer to you on your lap. The closer they get to you usually means something is scaring them and they want your protection. The closer they get the more scared they may be.
The sixth behavior is a dog that just keeps on yawning. They tend to do this when you have strangers over at your place that they are unfamiliar with. If the yawning continues they are basically saying they are not comfortable with this strange human in the house.
The seventh behavior also has to do with a dog yawning but this one is a bit different. If your dog sees you yawn and then they immediately copy you and yawn back they are displaying signs of empathy and love for you. On the flip side, they may actually just be tired and need to take a nice relaxing nap and get some shut eye.
The eighth behavior is the dog lean which is similar to when they sit on your lap. They are leaning on you because they don’t particularly feel safe and are seeking security from their human. Again on the flip side they could be leaning on you just because they want to cuddle and get some head and belly rubs.
The ninth odd behavior happens at night right before they go to bed. You may have noticed your pup circling and digging around their bed excessively. Have no worries this is completely normal behavior and your dog is not losing their mind! This behavior is a remnant from when they were wild dogs before they were domesticated.
In the wild they would circle and dig to make themselves dog nests before getting some rest and sleep. They also would dig these nests to make sure no creepy critters or snakes were in the area and they could have a good rest without being disturbed.
The tenth behavior is when your dog comes right up to you and looks you directly in the eyes. Do not be freaked out if they are sitting there for an extended period of time trying to make eye contact with you. The best thing you can do is look right back into their eyes.
By staring into your eyes your dog is telling you how much they love you. In China studies were done and they found that when you make eye contact with your dog oxytocin and other feel good hormones are released in their bodies. So basically you are giving them a nice boost of feel good energy!
The eleventh behavior is when a dog repeatedly sneezes. You may not think much of it, but they are trying to engage with you as they try to tell you it’s playtime and they want to have some fun!
The twelfth odd behavior comes during and after bath time. If you have ever tried to give your dog a bath, you know that it can be quite the ordeal and a lot of times they don’t make it easy. The reason for this is pretty adorable. Dogs don’t like the smell of being clean so after you shampoo and wash them you may see them running around and rolling on the ground to try to get that fresh soapy smell off them!
The thirteenth behavior is something a lot of people aren’t too fond of and think it’s pretty gross and nasty. This common dog behavior is licking people. This is your pups way of communicating to you that they are being submissive. It also is a way for them to relieve built up stress and tension.
The final and fourteenth strange behavior we are going to go over is when your dog follows you into the bathroom. Most people like to have privacy and be alone when they are in the bathroom doing a number 1 or number 2. However if you have a dog you know that almost every time you head towards the bathroom they follow right behind you and make sure they get inside the bathroom with you while you do your thing.
Dogs tend to go everywhere with you but when they follow you into the bathroom they are telling you something very specific. They are communicating to you that they are completely devoted to you and you’re the most important thing in their lives! So at first it might seem a little weird or creepy but just know your dog has the best intentions when they watch you do your thing on the toilet.
Hopefully this shined some light and you learned a good amount about your dog’s strange behaviors!
Watch the video below for more information on dog behavior:
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