It’s important, as a dog owner, for you to understand why your dog does the things he does if, for no other reason, it will quell an impulse to punish your pet for something that is simply in his DNA! So instead of getting mad at Fido for eating his poop, find out why he may be doing it!

Read below and see if you can translate your pooch’s language!

* Moves in circles before going to sleep: Your dog’s ancestors did this to flatten down grass and make a cozy nest. Your dog is acting on his genetic instinct.
* Barks at the mailman, even though he knows him well: The mailman leaves reliably every time your dog barks at him. So, your dog continues to bark and believes he is showing his power over the mailman.
* Blinks: Your dog is thinking and may be contemplating whether to follow a given command.
* Yawns: Your dog may yawn if he’s tired, yes, but also when he’s feeling stressed.
* Licks his lips: Your dog is nervous or anxious. It’s also a sign of submission.
* Paws the ground after eliminating: Your dog is further marking his territory by leaving behind a visual sign (disturbed soil) and scent (likely from sweat glands on his paws), noting that he’s been there.
* Eats feces: Poop-eating behavior, known as coprophagia, is common in puppies, who may have witnessed their mother eating their feces in order to keep their living quarters clean. In older dogs, coprophagia may have medical or behavioral explanations and can be a sign of stress.
* Eats grass: There are two primary reasons why dogs eat grass. Number one is to use as a purgative, and number two is simply because they want to! (Grass may meet some physiological requirements his instincts tell him he needs.)
* Sniffs other dogs’ behinds: A dog’s behind generates pheromones that let other dogs know his identity.
* Pants: Your dog pants to help regulate his body temperature and may also do so when he’s feeling anxious.
* Sticks his head out the car window: Your dog does this because it’s fun and he can sample the scents flying by. Do not, however, let your dog do this as he can be easily, and severely, injured.
* Barks at another dog with his ears pressed to his head: This is a sign of fear or submission, especially when paired with a tail tucked between his legs and eyes that dart from side to side.
* Takes food out of his bowl and eats it in another room: A dog that is lower in the pack order might do this in order to protect his food from a competing alpha dog (even if there isn’t one present!).
* Hides treats rather than eating them: Your dog may hide a bone or other coveted treat in the backyard because he’s reverting back to his wild roots. In the wild, stashing food for later, to be located by scent, ensured he’d have a spare meal when he really needed it.
* Runs in his sleep: Your dog is dreaming, probably about running to catch a squirrel or other creature.
* Puts his tail between his legs: This is a signal of submission, uncertainty, anxiety and/or fear.
* Holds his tail upright: This is a sign of interest, dominance and confidence.
* Sniffs people in the groin area: A dog can read the pheromones coming from that area, even detecting whether you’re fearful or confident.
* Shakes toys back and forth in his mouth: Your dog is doing what he would have done in the wild, which is shake his prey at the neck to kill it.

While we do not profess to be experts in dog’s behavior and methods of communication, we do think the facts above are helpful for any first time dog Mommy and Daddy. To read more go on over to Healthy Pets. These and other tips can help you to bond and communicate better with your fur-child.

Next time, when your dog does something you don’t understand, simply look back or remember the above list and know that Rover has his own way to communicate. It is up to us to decipher his or her language.