Behaviour

Why a dog does the thing it does, and when it matters.

5 articles

• Paw Licking: Which Paw, How Often, and What the Fur Colour Tells You

  One paw points at an injury. All four points at something systemic. That single observation does most of the work.

• Lip Licking Is Usually Nausea or Stress, Not Thirst

  Owners read it as anticipation of food. Vets and behaviourists read it as one of the most useful early signals a dog gives.

• Dogs Eating Dirt: Usually Boredom, Sometimes Anaemia

  The occasional mouthful is normal. A dog that seeks soil out and eats it steadily is doing something worth investigating.

• Why Dogs Lick People, and When It Stops Being Affection

  The default explanation is affection. Some licking is, and some of it is a dog asking for space rather than offering closeness.

• Dogs Eating Grass: What the Research Actually Found

  Most dogs that eat grass are not ill and do not vomit afterwards. The interesting question is which ones do.