Category Kids Queries

When a dog pants, she’s turning on the air-conditioning. Painting sucks in and circulates air to cool her body. Unlike their human best friends, dogs don’t sweat through their skin. They do it through the pads of their paws, but not enough to cool off on a hot afternoon (you’d feel the same way if you played fetch in a fur coat).

Most of us pant from time to time as we run, climb stairs, or otherwise exert ourselves. While dogs may pant while they exercise, though, they do it for different reasons. What’s more, no matter how fast they may pant, dogs won’t experience the dizziness of hyperventilation.

Panting as a cooling mechanism is necessary because dogs do not have an effective system of sweat glands like people do. Instead, dogs cool their bodies using the evaporation of moisture from the mouth and tongue, and by exchanging the hot air of their lungs with cooler external air.

When the outside air temperature is the same or higher than the puppy’s normal body temperature of 102 degrees, panting won’t effectively cool off the puppy and can lead to heat stroke. Hot puppies may also resort to digging to scoop out cool places to rest.

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Fallen leaves, cow plops, roadkill – all sorts of repulsive piles seem like paradise to your pooch, who has a nasty habit of rolling in fifth the instant he or she gets outside (usually right after a bath). But remember, a dog’s nose is a hundred times more sensitive than a human’s. What smells sweet to us – such as dog shampoo – might seem just plain awful to your dog, so he or she will roll in something smelly to overpower the shampoo odor. Some experts believe dogs instinctively roll in poop or dead critters to cover their scent or share these foul finds with pack members. In this case, unfortunately, you’re part of your dog’s pack!

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Spot’s sense of smell is a hundred times more sensitive than yours, and he lives in a world where odor is information. Glands on a dog’s backside transmit all sorts of info about his or her identity, including age, sex, social status, and much more. So when dogs sniff each other’s stinky parts, they’re really just saying hello.

If both dogs are healthy, well-socialized, and supervised, it’s actually a good idea to let them “sniff it out” as much as they want (provided each dog is tolerating it well). Dogs may actually be less likely to fight if they take an adequate amount of “getting-to-sniff-you” time with one another. However, some dogs may get intense with the sniffing while other dogs need their personal space.

Watch the behavior and body language of all dogs. If one dog is overdoing it and the other dog seems annoyed or stresses, then the owners should call their dogs away. Also, it’s ideal to let dogs meet and play in pairs. Dogs are more likely to get overexcited in groups, which can lead to fights. 

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They say old habits die hard – and this particular one goes back to Fido’s ancestors. Wolves and wild dogs turn in circles to tamp down the grass and drive out bugs before dropping for a nap. Your pup inherited that same behavior as instinct, whether he or she is settling down in the backyard or on the bed’s comforter.

Dogs in the wild often dig out their own resting spots. Once they’re satisfied with their work, they may examine it several times over by walking around it in circles. If your pooch circles his bedding site before retiring for a nap or for the night, he’s essentially just checking his digging work and making sure that he has a cozy and safe place to sleep — canine style. Dogs also often circle around as a way of driving out any pesky bugs that may be lingering in their sleeping spots.

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Dog experts disagree over why canines chase their tails in a race they can’t win. Some breeds – German shepherds, Finnish bull terriers, and miniature terriers – hit the spin cycle more than others, leading scientists to think tail-chasing is tied to genetics. But studies show puppies that aren’t properly socialized (for instance, they’re removed from their littermates too early) grow up to be habitual tail-chasers. Another cause could be a lack of vitamins in a dog’s diet. Some trainers suspect this hyperactive habit is a sign of a bored dog that wants to play; other trainers think tail-chasers are overstimulated by other dogs in the house or rowdy kids nearby. In any case, most dogs can be broken of the habit through patient training.

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There’s reason you say “awww” whenever you see a puppy or a smiling baby. We have evolved to think that any creature with a big head, large eyes, and a button nose – features that most human babies share – is cute. Anyone who has had to babysit knows that toddlers require a lot of time and attention – more than the offspring of other animals. Evolution has wired our brains to think babies are cute, which makes us more willing to drop everything we’re doing and care for them. In fact, studies show that babies who are considered extra cute get extra attention. Animals with similar facial features – from kitties to koalas – also set off our cuteness response.

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