Why does Fido do that?

This question seems to resound around the earth among new pet owners everywhere. Thousands of people at this very moment are looking at some odd behavior and asking themselves just why is the dog doing this? Let’s look at a few of the common behaviors and see if we can understand the reasons behind them.

The first is the age old problem of garbage can raiding. This behavior is quite annoying as it creates a huge and unsightly mess to clean up. It involves an animal willfully tipping a trash receptacle and then going thru the contents, leaving a lot of destruction and debris in their wake. Why does Fido do this? Well, the simple answer is hunger. Your dog most likely smelled something delicious in the trash can, like perhaps a carryout box or even a piece of meat you threw out of the refrigerator. This problem can usually be resolved by getting rid of odiferous objects such as table scraps in a separate sealed bag or by using a more stable trashcan. If the outdoor receptacle seems to be the common target, have an enclosure built around it to keep the animal out.

Another common mystery to dog owners is the eating of grass. Dogs are naturally carnivorous, rather than herbivorous, it is hard to understand how an animal would bypass a plate of steak to go mow the yard with its teeth. The answer lies in the animal’s own stomach. Your pet may have a bellyache from the plate of steak you gave him this afternoon. Dogs eat vegetation when they feel poorly, especially with illnesses related to digestion. This is probably not a danger to your pet unless your yard has been chemically treated. However, it is advisable to keep an eye on your pets eating habits and behaviors. If the animal displays signs of poor health a veterinary visit would be in order.

Another habit human companions of our canine friends find disgusting is litter box raiding. The scientific name for this situation is Coprophagy but even without the fancy word, we all know exactly what we mean here, if you let the dog in a house with a litter box, you can bet the dog will find it within no time. But why does your dog insist on eating what the cat left behind? There are many theories as to why our dogs do this. Some medical conditions can cause the symptom to occur. Some of these medical conditions include pancreatic of intestinal dysfunction, starvation or even severe malnutrition due to advanced infections of parasite such as worms. Others believe that the eating of feces may be a way for dogs to replenish their B vitamin supply or a hold over from evolution. Still others claim it is a psychological condition caused by nervousness or a guilt complex instilled by an owner who was too harsh in housebreaking. No matter what the reason for it, the easiest way to prevent it is to keep the animals yard and walking area free of feces of any type including their own. Aside from this, walk your dog on a leash so as to have control should they find something you missed. Also put the cats litter box up out of the dogs reach but still accessible to the cat or get a litter box with a hood system. A visit to the veterinarian would also be in order as this condition may be symptomatic of various ailments and could also be a contributing factor in the animal developing a parasite infestation.

Hopefully these short insights into your dogs mind have given you a bit more information on what makes your dog tick. By understanding how your dog thinks, it is much easier to train them to perform or quit performing various actions as the case may be. For almost every behavior imaginable, someone else has experienced it and wrote about it on the Internet. If your dog is doing something you just can’t comprehend or that makes you think your pet has lost its mind, do a bit of research and maybe you will find the dog’s motivation and how to cure that problem that’s driving you mad or at least satisfy your curiosity so you don’t have to ask, Why does Fido do that?