There Is No Nothing Your dog lifts his head off the rug, stares at the hallway, and barks twice at a stretch of empty carpet. You look. There is a wall, a radiator, and a shoe. Nothing. Except that “nothing” is a report from your senses, and your senses are the weak ones in this … Read more
A dog rolling onto their back is one of the most misread signals in the entire dog-human relationship. Most people see it and reach straight for the belly. Sometimes that’s exactly right. Sometimes it’s the opposite of what the dog asked for. The position is identical. The rest of the body tells you which one … Read more
If your dog yawns when they’re clearly wide awake — at the vet’s office, when a stranger leans over them, right before you leave the house — that yawn isn’t tiredness. It’s communication. Behaviorists call these calming signals: small, easily missed gestures dogs use to lower tension in a situation. Yawning is one of the … Read more
Dogs bark, whine, and howl — but those are a tiny fraction of how they communicate. The rest happens in the body: the set of the ears, the height of the tail, the tension around the mouth, how the weight is distributed across four paws. Once you learn to read it, a lot of “sudden” … Read more
Sirens, music, being left alone — dogs howl for reasons that go back thousands of years. Here’s what your dog is actually saying.
Dogs sleep 12–14 hours a day — and puppies and seniors sleep even more. Here’s what’s normal, and the changes that mean you should call your vet.
You sit down, and within seconds there’s a warm, wet tongue on your hand, your arm, or — if you’re unlucky — your face. Licking is one of the most common things dogs do to the people they live with, and it almost always means something. The tricky part is that it doesn’t always mean … Read more
A surprising amount of “bad dog behavior” is really just a smart animal with nothing to do. Common signs of a bored dog Destructive chewing. Shoes, cushions, table legs — if it happens mostly when your dog is understimulated, boredom is a prime suspect. Digging. Especially in the same few spots in the yard. Attention-seeking. … Read more
Almost every dog owner has watched their dog graze like a tiny cow and wondered: should I be worried? The short answer: usually not Grass-eating is extremely common. Studies of dog owners have found that the majority of dogs eat grass at least occasionally, and the vast majority show no signs of illness before doing … Read more
You look up from your phone, and there they are: two eyes fixed on you. Staring. Again. What does it mean? They want something (obviously) The most common reason is simple communication. Dinner time is near. The leash is by the door. You have a sandwich. Dogs quickly learn that staring at their human often … Read more