I have a silly question...

[Debi]

and I know there is a real reason, but for the life of me I can't remember. not something important but why does a dog circle continuously prior to laying down? Hammie doesn't do it...he plops and is snoring in a moment. but Addie has this procedure that makes us just laugh. we'll all be on the bed...and her spot is the bottom. then she has to stand....circle, circle, circle...LOL sometimes I swear she will get up...do it...only to lay back down the very same way she was.

 

[RD]

I have... no idea. Maybe it's their version of fluffing up their bed?

My three previous dogs all circled. Buster would circle for about 5 minutes before finally going to sleep. I thought it was so odd when I got Ripley and Dakota, and neither of them did it. Ripley digs in his bed to fluff it, and Dakota just doesn't freaking care. He'll sleep on a pile of shoes.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

According to what I have been told and read, this is an intinctive vestigial behavior from wild canids bedding down in brush.

They turn around and around to mash the grasses down before they lie down on them.

 

[Debi]

thanks, Red. I thought it was some instinctive reason. it's kinda funny sometimes, tho. we'll sometimes say, 'Ad...just do it, hon'. not in a scolding way...just softly teasing her.

 

[MichelleJ]

We have an old comforter laid out for the dogs and one of ours has a ritual she perfomrms prior to sleeping on it...she paws and circles until it is just so and then can lay down. She doesn't however do this on her dog bed. I guess the dog bed is already to her liking?

 

[bubbatd]

Yup ! Like Red said .

 

[Renee750il]

Because Addie is an old fashioned watch dog . . . she's winding herself up

 

[Melissa_W]

I wondered about that too!