7 Strange Things Humans Do- According to Our Dogs
Thursday, July 2, 2020 12:43:47 PM America/Los_Angeles
Our dogs think we’re weird. I mean, they definitely love us, but let’s face it; when comparing our idiosyncrasies and physicality to dogs, we have little in common. Sometimes, it can even lead to confusion. Here are seven things we do that our pups think are strange!
Photo by Anna Dudkova
We stare at electronic devices.
Because dogs get much of their entertainment olfactorily (or through their noses). As they have one of the keenest senses of smell in the entire animal kingdom, (Here’s an article chalk full of doggie superpowers that you can check out!), dogs can’t understand how we can be equally entertained watching a weird box that blinks and makes odd noises. If your pup wants attention that requires you to take your mind off of your tech- especially if you’ve been hooked for a few hours, step away to enjoy the fresh air, make sure your dog gets exercise and a potty break, and enjoy their companionship (as a treat)!
We have entire rooms where we do our business and do our self-cleaning.
This one’s obvious. There must be much confusion as to why we disappear into our bathrooms for long periods of time and come out smelling completely differently. Our dogs must be stunned by our cleanliness and confused by the fact that they never see us pee and poo when we take them for walks. We don’t have pee pads and we don’t use Bark Potty- so… where do we potty? There’s a big chance that they think us very odd indeed.
We are constantly changing shape and smell.
Dogs shed their coats once a year, but we change our clothes a few times a day. After a dog lives with an owner long enough, they get accustomed to their owner’s usual smells. If your dog has ever barked at you after donning a new leather jacket or the ugly holiday sweater that you haven’t worn in months, this is an expression of confusion and is completely normal! If you read our dog superpower article, you’ll know that when dogs smell things, they smell every single component that makes up the thing in question. When we change our clothes, we smell different to our dogs. Because scent is their strongest sense, this can cause problems especially when we wear something new or something we haven’t worn in a long time. They may think that we’re an intruder!
We enjoy fireworks.
Dogs’ senses of hearing are also much sharper than a human’s (we discuss this in our doggie superpowers article, too), so when our dogs are cowering in fear under a table, bed, in their crate, or curled tightly into a ball under our chair, they must think us strange for enjoying the impossibly loud show that is fireworks. If this is your dog, you should out our article on how to soothe dogs who don't like fireworks! They may also see our enjoyment or relaxed demeanor as bravery and that we can protect them from the distant exploding colors that smell like gun smoke.
We throw away perfectly good food.
Okay, so the definition of perfectly good food is subject to change based on who you ask. If we asked a person who makes a median income if they’re sure they want to throw away a plate of chicken drumstick bones and the menial scraps of a meal they are now full from, they would likely say yes. If we asked their dog, they would say no! Dogs like people food- even what we would consider undesirable or inedible (like bones).
We welcome strangers into our den.
Dogs are territorial animals by nature and when you take one into your home, you become part of their pack and your home becomes their den! This is why, when we invite strangers our dogs have never met before into our house, our dogs can react to them in a hostile manner. Your dog has no clue who this person is and what their intentions are, so their default reaction is usually going to be to defend and protect their turf and their pack from an invader
We really like hugs.
Much to the derision of most dogs, humans show affection by hugging. This can develop into an issue especially considering that your dog may translate a hug as a hostile attempt to pin them, making it difficult for them to escape. However, you know your dog the best and can keep hugging them if they seem comfortable with it!