How Your Dog’s Behavior Is a Way for Him To Express His Needs

If you notice that your dog’s attitude is unusual, he may be trying to tell you something. Dogs tend to do strange things when they have ailments since they can’t verbalize what’s bothering them. Pay attention when you notice different behaviors, so you can try to remedy the situation. Here are some behaviors to watch for that might be a signal your dog is asking for help.

Panting

While panting is a typical behavior, your dog might be trying to tell you something is awry if he is panting at unusual times or frequently. Dogs do this to cool themselves since they don’t have sweat glands. Your dog may even pant to show that he is happy, which is generally accompanied by tail wagging.

However, panting can also be a sign of fear or anxiety. Look at your dog’s body language to determine what he is feeling. For instance, if he is going to the vet for a checkup, he is likely stressed out. One way to ease his fears is to provide him with CBD oil for dogs. It can calm him down when he gets nervous, whether the fear comes from car rides, gunshots or fireworks. 

It’s possible that uncontrollable panting is an indication that your dog is in pain. If this is the case, he’ll likely be showing other signs of illness such as decreased appetite or lethargy.

Eliminating Irregularly

If your potty-trained pooch starts to have accidents in the house, there’s a high chance that something is wrong. You should not reprimand him if this starts to happen; instead, take him to the vet to address possible reasons behind it. This can be an easily treatable issue such as a stomach bug or a urinary tract infection, or it may suggest a more severe illness. No matter what the ailment is, it’s better to get it checked out by your vet before it gets worse.

Scooting

You probably laugh and then reprimand your dog if he drags his butt across your carpet, but there is probably a reason why he is doing this. He is trying to tell you that something is irritating his behind. This could be because his anal sacs need to be expressed, he has allergies that make him itchy or he has parasites. Whatever the reason, you should make a vet appointment if scooting continues. 

Eating Feces

It’s always alarming to see your dog in the yard eating his own or another animal’s feces. He gives you kisses with that mouth! While this can be a normal, yet disturbing, behavior, it can also be cause for alarm. This behavior is a signal that your dog may have a nutritional deficiency. Oddly enough, eating feces is his way of trying to fix his deficiency. 

If you see your dog eating feces, reprimand him because it’s unacceptable behavior. You’ll also need to start your dog on a well-balanced diet to find out whether that is the reason for this undesirable action.

Whimpering

Not everything your dog does is a sign of a possible illness. If you hear your dog whining, it’s because he wants something. Pay attention to where he is when he starts to whimper. If it’s beside his food bowl, he’s probably hungry. Likewise, if he is crying beside his toy bin, he wants you to throw a toy or play tug of war. Dogs aren’t dumb. They know what they want and how to get it.

Damaging

Puppies are notorious for causing destruction to anything they can put into their mouths, but older dogs will destroy things, too. If you come home to find torn up flip flops and ripped carpeting, your dog was probably bored – very bored. 

The best thing to do is to keep him active when you’re home so he doesn’t have pent up energy to get rid of when you’re away. Also, supply him with plenty of toys he’s allowed to chew on, and try pet-friendly repellents on items he isn’t allowed to have.

Dogs have many ways to express their thoughts and feelings. It’s important to know your pooch’s normal behaviors, so you can tell when something is off. You’ll both benefit from your ability to read his body language.