11 Dog Behaviors & What They Mean

Thirty-six percent of American households own a dog, which equates to over 43 million homes.

As a nation of dog-lovers, the recent concept of paid leave to welcome a canine companion into the home and teach them good dog behaviors is likely to be music to many people's ears.

And, as the millions of remote workers and full-time freelancers across the US will testify, getting to spend more time with their furry friends is one of the many perks of working from home.

Spending more time with your dog also means they're less likely to exhibit bad behavior as a result of boredom or loneliness. But what about other dog behavior? Read on to learn more about dog behavior meanings.

Puppies often communicate with their mouths so biting isn't an uncommon dog behavior for them, especially when playing.

They may bite also during training, while at other times it may not be for any identifiable reason. That said, if your young dog often nips and bites, it's vital to stop this behavior before it becomes more problematic.

Dogs tend to bite when they're afraid or anxious, or it can be a sign of aggression. Consider what other factors come into play when your dog bites to try and find potential reasons behind it.

For example, does your dog bite when they've been alone for a long time? Or do they tend to bite when there's a stranger in their home? If you're finding it hard to teach your dog not to bite, consider working with a veterinary behaviorist.

Dogs dig and scratch at the ground for a variety of reasons. These include as a means to escape, to hide something, and to make the ground more comfortable for lying on.

But many dogs also display this digging behavior indoors too. You may have noticed your dog scratching at their bed or the floor before lying down.

Although there are several reasons why dogs scratch their beds, the good news is it's something all dogs do as a natural instinct rather than being a sign of any kind of problem. Most commonly, scratching is a dog behavior passed down from your dog's wild ancestors, who scratched at piles of leaves and dirt to make a comfortable bed for the night.

While dogs can have fun chasing their tails, if your dog is always circling and can't seem to shake the compulsion, there may be an underlying health issue.

It could be a sign of an ear infection, while older dogs who circle around a lot may be suffering from idiopathic vestibular syndrome. There's also the worrying possibility that this dog behavior could be a sign of a brain tumor or poisoning. To get to the bottom of your dog's circling, get them to the vet for a check-up as soon as possible.

Dogs expel body heat from their mouths so panting is a way for them to regulate their core temperature. More often than not, when your dog pants, it's a sign they're too warm.

Excessive panting in hot weather can be a sign that your dog is overheated. To avoid this, make sure your dog is well hydrated before physical activity. And in warmer weather, it's good practice to take water and a portable bowl out on walks so your dog doesn't have to wait until you get back home for a drink.

Aside from dehydration, as with all dog behavioral changes, if you notice your dog panting more, it can be a sign that they're in pain. Some health issues can also result in increased panting. As such, it's a good idea to take your dog to the vet if you're concerned.

While eating feces seems disgusting to us humans, it's a perfectly normal dog behavior. When female dogs clean their young, they ingest feces in the process, so puppies may do this as a way to mimic their mothers.

Eating feces could also be a simple case of curiosity. Your dog may smell certain scents in the feces and then taste some to investigate.

But, if your dog makes a habit of eating feces, it could be a sign of a nutritional deficiency. This is a more likely possibility if your dog is also losing weight, so you should contact your vet to see what could be wrong.

Barking is a dog's way of expressing emotion, but this common dog behavior can mean lots of different things depending on the context.

Dogs may bark when they're alarmed or feel threatened, in which cases their barking is a kind of call for help. Dogs may also bark when they're excited, and can often react by barking when they're about to go for a walk.

And then there's demand barking, which is a learned behavior that dogs use to get you to do something. While we're sure you might need a motivational kick in the ass sometimes, your dog shouldn't be the one giving the orders. As such, demand barking is something you try to ignore rather than encourage.

Often, the key to understanding dog behavior is recognizing that it can be unrelated to that same behavior in humans. Stretching is a prime example of this.

We stretch after sleeping to wake up our muscles. But when your dog greets you with a stretch, it's not because they're just waking up and feel a little stiff or are trying out some dog yoga moves. Stretching is actually a dog's way of saying hello to people they feel comfortable with.

Scooting is when your dog moves across the floor while dragging their bottom across the ground. Although it can look funny and seems pretty gross, it's often a sign that there's something irritating your dog's anus.

The reason for this irritation could be that your dog's anal sacs are full. If this is the case, your vet will be able to let you know and express your dog's sacs for them.

If your dog's anal sacs aren't blocked, scooting can also be a sign of an allergy or some kind of parasite. Head to the vet to see what the problem could be.

It's frustrating to see your house-trained dog urinating indoors, but dog behavioral changes rarely happen without a reason.

Urinating indoors can be a sign of urinary tract issues or a kidney infection, as can a more frequent need to urinate in general. In older dogs, urinating inside can even be a sign of dementia known as canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD).

If you've ruled out any health issues, this behavior may be because your dog is anxious or excited by a recent change in the household, such as a new family member or a recent death.

Yawning doesn't tend to mean that a dog is bored or tired. Instead, yawning, along with nose licking, is a sign of fear or stress.

Dogs use these signals as a way to show their fear and ask for reassurance from fellow dogs. So, if you have more than one dog you might catch your pups yawning at each other. This is their way of calming each other down.

If you notice your dog yawning more often, it might be because of anxiety about a recent change or a new person they're not sure about.

Although we all assume that a wagging tail is a sign of a happy dog, dog behavior meanings aren't always as obvious as they appear. In fact, tail wagging can actually mean anything from elation to anger.

A circular wagging motion is often a more intense emotion, but this could be happiness or aggression. And if your dog's tail is wagging at a slow speed, this is an exploratory kind of wag that can be a sign of excitement or fear. But experts tend to agree that if your dog's tail is bouncing up and down, that is definitely a sign of happiness.

To complicate things further, the direction of your dog's tail wag can indicate whether they have positive or negative feelings about someone. A tail that wags more to the right means your dog has positive feelings, but more to the left means a negative reaction.

As these dog behaviors show, there can be a lot of meaning behind everything your dog does.

From underlying psychological causes to learned behavior, illness to instinct, dog behavior is often a sign that your dog is trying to tell you something. And that's especially the case when you spot any new bad habits or dog behavioral changes.

Of course, your dog isn't the only one who needs some training in good behavior from time to time. Check out these eight great ways to help you build better habits!

Thirty-six percent of American households own a dog, which equates to over 43 million homes.

As a nation of dog-lovers, the recent concept of paid leave to welcome a canine companion into the home and teach them good dog behaviors is likely to be music to many people's ears.

And, as the millions of remote workers and full-time freelancers across the US will testify, getting to spend more time with their furry friends is one of the many perks of working from home.

Spending more time with your dog also means they're less likely to exhibit bad behavior as a result of boredom or loneliness. But what about other dog behavior? Read on to learn more about dog behavior meanings.

Puppies often communicate with their mouths so biting isn't an uncommon dog behavior for them, especially when playing.

They may bite also during training, while at other times it may not be for any identifiable reason. That said, if your young dog often nips and bites, it's vital to stop this behavior before it becomes more problematic.

Dogs tend to bite when they're afraid or anxious, or it can be a sign of aggression. Consider what other factors come into play when your dog bites to try and find potential reasons behind it.

For example, does your dog bite when they've been alone for a long time? Or do they tend to bite when there's a stranger in their home? If you're finding it hard to teach your dog not to bite, consider working with a veterinary behaviorist.

Dogs dig and scratch at the ground for a variety of reasons. These include as a means to escape, to hide something, and to make the ground more comfortable for lying on.

But many dogs also display this digging behavior indoors too. You may have noticed your dog scratching at their bed or the floor before lying down.

Although there are several reasons why dogs scratch their beds, the good news is it's something all dogs do as a natural instinct rather than being a sign of any kind of problem. Most commonly, scratching is a dog behavior passed down from your dog's wild ancestors, who scratched at piles of leaves and dirt to make a comfortable bed for the night.

While dogs can have fun chasing their tails, if your dog is always circling and can't seem to shake the compulsion, there may be an underlying health issue.

It could be a sign of an ear infection, while older dogs who circle around a lot may be suffering from idiopathic vestibular syndrome. There's also the worrying possibility that this dog behavior could be a sign of a brain tumor or poisoning. To get to the bottom of your dog's circling, get them to the vet for a check-up as soon as possible.

Dogs expel body heat from their mouths so panting is a way for them to regulate their core temperature. More often than not, when your dog pants, it's a sign they're too warm.

Excessive panting in hot weather can be a sign that your dog is overheated. To avoid this, make sure your dog is well hydrated before physical activity. And in warmer weather, it's good practice to take water and a portable bowl out on walks so your dog doesn't have to wait until you get back home for a drink.

Aside from dehydration, as with all dog behavioral changes, if you notice your dog panting more, it can be a sign that they're in pain. Some health issues can also result in increased panting. As such, it's a good idea to take your dog to the vet if you're concerned.

While eating feces seems disgusting to us humans, it's a perfectly normal dog behavior. When female dogs clean their young, they ingest feces in the process, so puppies may do this as a way to mimic their mothers.

Eating feces could also be a simple case of curiosity. Your dog may smell certain scents in the feces and then taste some to investigate.

But, if your dog makes a habit of eating feces, it could be a sign of a nutritional deficiency. This is a more likely possibility if your dog is also losing weight, so you should contact your vet to see what could be wrong.

Barking is a dog's way of expressing emotion, but this common dog behavior can mean lots of different things depending on the context.

Dogs may bark when they're alarmed or feel threatened, in which cases their barking is a kind of call for help. Dogs may also bark when they're excited, and can often react by barking when they're about to go for a walk.

And then there's demand barking, which is a learned behavior that dogs use to get you to do something. While we're sure you might need a motivational kick in the ass sometimes, your dog shouldn't be the one giving the orders. As such, demand barking is something you try to ignore rather than encourage.

Often, the key to understanding dog behavior is recognizing that it can be unrelated to that same behavior in humans. Stretching is a prime example of this.

We stretch after sleeping to wake up our muscles. But when your dog greets you with a stretch, it's not because they're just waking up and feel a little stiff or are trying out some dog yoga moves. Stretching is actually a dog's way of saying hello to people they feel comfortable with.

Scooting is when your dog moves across the floor while dragging their bottom across the ground. Although it can look funny and seems pretty gross, it's often a sign that there's something irritating your dog's anus.

The reason for this irritation could be that your dog's anal sacs are full. If this is the case, your vet will be able to let you know and express your dog's sacs for them.

If your dog's anal sacs aren't blocked, scooting can also be a sign of an allergy or some kind of parasite. Head to the vet to see what the problem could be.

It's frustrating to see your house-trained dog urinating indoors, but dog behavioral changes rarely happen without a reason.

Urinating indoors can be a sign of urinary tract issues or a kidney infection, as can a more frequent need to urinate in general. In older dogs, urinating inside can even be a sign of dementia known as canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD).