I have been wondering since my dog passed away a month ago about some of the things she use to do, and why she did them. So I began to do some research to find out something about the different things she has done throughout her life. Because I have never seen any of my other dogs display that type of behavior before. And I was amazed that many of the things my dog was doing were common wolf behavior in the wild. But it is nothing to be a scared about if your dog is doing the same, because it is not vicious behavior. I tried to find out why all dogs do not display wolf like behavior seeing that they are all descendents of wolves, but could not find much to explain it other than some feel it has to do with the breed of the dog and if the dog breed is kept pure, but could not find much more than that to explain in more detail.
I will tell you what behavior my dog use to do and then tell you why the wolf does it in the wild. And see if your dog has done any of this type of behavior to.
My dog Tanya from day one did not like the fire siren at the fire station when it went off she would howl like a wolf no matter where she was. If she was outside she would sit in the corner of the yard and just howl till the fire siren stopped. It makes it a very fun summer when you live not far from three fire station, she use to get a lot of howling done in the summer time.
Wolves in the wild howl to keep their packmates together and also to tell them who is the leader , it is said that if one of their packmates got separated from the rest of the pack they could howl and know that was one of their packmates howling and be able to find them. Also wolves do bark, woof, whine, whimper, yelp, growl, snarl and moan a lot more often than they howl, but it is howling though that defines the wolf.
My dog when she would go for a poop or has it’s called the poop dance, she would after doing it kick up the grass and dirt with her back legs as if to try to cover it up. Dogs also have glands in their feet that secrete pheromones so with the backward scratches after the poop dance they have marked that spot with their scent.
In the wild wolves, dingoes and foxes do the same thing when they poop and it is the way they mark their territory in the wild.
My dog would dig holes near the foundation of my house and lay there in the summer, I found this is a way for them to cool down and lower their body temperature.
In the wild wolves will dig a trench and lay in it to keep cool in the summer, and they may also do it in the winter to retain their body heat
My dog would go around and around in circle and scratch at the bedding before lying down. She would do it in her bed and my bed as well and also outside. And she would do it every time before she would finally lie down.
In the wild wolves will walk around and around in a circle and they do it because it is a way to stamp down the grass, leaves or snow and make a soft level surface and may scratch at spots to get the rough spots out. It kind of like carving out a nest that they can lay down in.
But don’t worry if your dog has been doing some or all of this type of wolf like behavior it does not mean your dog has heard the call of the wild and will transform into a wolf over night or on a night with a full moon. No your dog is just doing the same things their ancestors have done over the years, it like carrying on a tradition of their parents or grandparents. Kind of like many of us do with holidays. Only they do it all year long.
I am so happy I did the research and found out more about my dog and the behavior she had been doing and how a dog’s behavior can sometimes mimic a wolf’s behavior.