Your most Googled dog questions answered

Ever seen your dog do something really strange and Googled it to try and find out why? Join the club! Clearly a lot of us use Google to try and solve some of our doggy mysteries. When you type the words ‘why do dogs’ into the search bar a long list of suggestions come up. We decided to answer the top 5!

Why do dogs eat grass?

At some point or another, everyone has seen their pooch chow down on a hearty snack of grass. Believe it or not this isn’t because they are copying cow behaviour. So why the green snack?

The technical term for the disorder characterised by eating things that aren’t food is Pica. Pica can indicate that your dog has a nutritional deficiency of some sort, but it is usually just a sign of boredom (especially in puppies and younger dogs). This eating habit is actually very common in dogs, and is considered normal by most vets. This form of pica does not cause too many issues. There is a common belief that dogs eat grass when they are feeling unwell, and as a result it causes them to vomit. Evidence suggests that most dogs who eat grass aren’t unwell beforehand (or they don’t seem so) and vomiting only occurs in less that 25% of them. Other studies suggest that your pup is trying to aid their digestion, treat intestinal worms, or is fulfilling some unmet nutritional need such as fibre. There is, of course, the possibility that your dog just likes the taste and feel of eating grass.

Why do dogs lick you?

Are they really trying to kiss us, or does it mean something else?

Right from birth, licking is how a mother dog communicates with her pups, how she stimulates them to start breathing and how she cleans them. In both wild and domestic dogs, puppies will lick around the mother’s mouth. This is also a gesture of submission, the more subordinate members of the pack will lick the more dominant dogs. This is important in maintaining pack harmony. “Dogs also lick because they like the taste of an owner's salty skin and out of habit. Mostly, with domestic dogs, it's a sign of affection,” says renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell

For your dog, licking releases pleasurable endorphins which gives them a feeling of comfort. It’s the same as humans who bite their nails to relieve stress. “You should never punish your dog, as it is almost always a sign of affection,” says Stilwell.

Why do dogs howl?

Maybe your neighbour has phoned you at work to say your dog is howling, or perhaps you have witnessed it yourself. Dog howling is often caused by separation anxiety. Separation anxiety howling only occurs when a dog it left alone or separated from his owner. This sort of howling will usually be accompanied by one or more other separation anxiety symptoms such as depression, pacing, destructive behaviour or other signs of distress. Check out this article on how to combat separation anxiety in dogs. Puzzle toys, ThunderShirts and Calming Diffusers are common remedies for separation anxiety. If you are at home with your dog and they begin howling, this could be attributed to a sickness or injury. It always recommended to get your dog examined by a vet. Noises can trigger your pooch to begin howling, such as another dog, nearby sirens or maybe even your singing! Your dog should stop when the sound stops and this sort of howling shouldn’t be excessive unless, of course, the trigger occurs frequently. You can use desensitisation training to help with this unwanted behaviour.

Why do dogs eat poop?

Not our idea of a tasty snack that’s for sure! Poop eating seems to be a common habit for dogs (much to their owners disgust!) Several studies have been done on this not so pleasant habit, and answers have been revealed for us all! As it turns out, freshness is a large factor when it comes to dogs eating poop. Experts believe that this behaviour may be linked to their solve ancestors and is linked to parasite prevention.

The technical name for poop eating is coprophagia, and is widely distributed across the mammal family. Also found in rodents, rabbits, beavers, elephants and non-human primates, to name just a few — is generally viewed as a second chance for an animal to get nutrients into their diet. Domestic dogs have been found to turn to poop eating because of nutritional deficiencies in their diet. But, just because your dog enjoys a bit of fresh poop every now and again, does not mean that they have nutritional deficiencies. Perfectly healthy dogs can develop a taste for poop. While scientists have been able to find a concrete answer to this, some suggest that it may just be a learnt behaviour.

Mother dog’s lick their puppies to urge them to clean their faeces for the first few weeks of their life. Puppies will then naturally begin to engage in this behaviour eating both their own poop and the poop of other puppies. If your dog begins to eat their own poo, it could be a sign of stress or sickness and it is always a good idea to get them checked at the vet. Additionally, if your dog is eating another species poo there is a chance they will catch any viruses, parasites or toxins in the faeces.

Why do dogs pant?

In most cases your dog will pant to cool down. Unlike us humans, dogs cannot sweat through their thick fur. Dogs are able to sweat a small amount through their paw pads, but panting is the most effective method as it exchanges the hot air in their lungs with cool external air. This speeds up the evaporation of water from their tongue, inside their mouth and upper respiratory tract. As this happens, their body temperature is regulating, and cooling them down effectively. There can be other reasons your dog pants aside from being too hot.

Your pup may pant when they are feeling anxious or stressed. This is called ‘behavioural panting’ and will often be accompanied by shaking, hiding, whining, pacing or licking their lips. You might expect to see this in your dog during fireworks, on a car trip or during a visit to the vet. If you have a flat or shortened face then they could be suffering from Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. Because of their anatomy, these dogs (such as pugs, boxers and French bulldogs) suffer ongoing breathing difficulties due to their narrowed upper respiratory track.

Other medical reasons can attribute to panting such as heatstroke, allergic reactions, respiratory problems, pain, obesity or heart problems. It is always recommended to get any concerning panting checked out by your vet.

If you have any questions about keeping your dog happy and healthy, don't hesitate to reach out to one of Pet Direct's Customer Service Experts on 0800 200 240.

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