Why do dogs...?

Clodagh

Clodagh

Playing chess with pigeons
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Roll on you?
Tawny slept in our room last night as smallest (17!) had friends over. She has her own bed next to ours. When we woke up this morning I asked her up and she got very over excited and did 'whisker wipe' all over our faces and then rolled on our heads. She mainly ended up on my OH who took it in reasonable part (he disagrees with dogs upstairs, let alone on the bed). He said he used to have a border terrier bitch who did the same thing. If you lie on the floor downstairs she does it to. What is gonig on in that little doggy brain?
 
My lot don’t roll on me but will plonk themselves over an arm in an unsubtle attempt to make me cuddle them. Puss cat tends to shove his face on my collar bone and Bear cwtches up to my back on top of the duvet: strait jacket impression!
 
Just love it when my pets do these things, and glad to hear of some more owners allowing their pets on beds! Very sweet behaviour and (as you all no doubt know) they're celebrating the close contact that's being allowed by us owners, plus that this is happening on our bed where our body odours are very strong.

Hope I'm allowed to add another question?

Why do dogs...
after relieving themselves, wipe their feet and not scoot on the grass to clean their back-end?
 
That sounds like you have a cat, not a dog 😍

Harvey hasn't rolled on either of us yet but every time he goes out in to the garden he has a roll on the grass before pees/poos. He loves rolling around out there. Sometimes, he goes out for his last wee before nighttime and just lies down on the grass and chills out for a bit!

My "why do dogs..." would be: Harvey follows us around allllll dayyyy, everywhere we go, upstairs, downstairs, everywhere, but when it's time for bed, he sits at the bottom of the stairs and we have to repeatedly tell him he can come up! Why?!? 🤷🏼
 
Kat_Bath said:
My "why do dogs..." would be: Harvey follows us around allllll dayyyy, everywhere we go, upstairs, downstairs, everywhere, but when it's time for bed, he sits at the bottom of the stairs and we have to repeatedly tell him he can come up! Why?!? 🤷🏼
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Maybe he has a bit of SA, hence following you all day but a bit of a panic that he won't be allowed to sleep with you, hence the stalling? (Just a guess!).

So is it a dominant or submissive thing to scatter their scent, or does it have different ramifications in different dogs?
 
Clodagh said:
So is it a dominant or submissive thing to scatter their scent, or does it have different ramifications in different dogs?
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It is a territorial behaviour, ie claiming territory, so I would say dominant. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.;)
 
My pair roll on us if they are allowed/sneak upstairs. Dobby generally likes to be as close to your face as possible and likes to tuck his head under your chin/across your throat which can be a little uncomfortable
 
skinnydipper said:
It is a territorial behaviour, ie claiming territory, so I would say dominant. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.;)
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I have no idea, but I would say that the only one of ours who does it is bottom-of-the-heap older lab. Maybe in a quiet way she is running the show!
 
Annette4 said:
My pair roll on us if they are allowed/sneak upstairs. Dobby generally likes to be as close to your face as possible and likes to tuck his head under your chin/across your throat which can be a little uncomfortable
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Oh that is Pen! If she gets upstairs she leaps on the bed and then goes completely still, hoping you won't notice. As she is doing it while lying across your face it never works.
 
Clodagh said:
I have no idea, but I would say that the only one of ours who does it is bottom-of-the-heap older lab. Maybe in a quiet way she is running the show!
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I knew the scent marking was a territorial behaviour and claiming territory. Just basing the dominance theory on a programme I watched about hippos where the dominant bull was flinging his sh*t about to reinforce his dominance and claim his territory (is there a shame-faced smilie?) He managed to spray urine and shit at the same time with a propeller action of his tail - pretty impressive.
 
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Yeah mine roll on us too. Delilah is the main culprit and it's all to get as close to you as possible and to illicit stroking. She's utterly charming in how she does it - I've never met a dog so adept at manipulating humans into giving her a fuss.

Why do dogs....touch nose with cats as some sort of greeting?
 
I think the rolling is to spread their scent on you/around generally as it is comforting for them to be all smelly of themselves and for their humans to have their scent on them as well. I think it's related to why extremely nervous dogs wee on their own beds and their human's beds. It creates a comforting scent environment for them. My theory anyway. Mine roll of freshly vacuumed carpets...

Kicking after pooping is to leave a visual pointer to the location of the poop for other dogs... like "I was here and here's my shite". I wouldn't describe it as dominant or submissive or even territorial... most likely, in my view, it is more nuanced scent based communication, with the actual "message" depending on the individual dog. Again, that's just my understanding of it.
 
Clodagh said:
Maybe he has a bit of SA, hence following you all day but a bit of a panic that he won't be allowed to sleep with you, hence the stalling? (Just a guess!).
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Maybe! He isn't allowed in our bedroom (he just gets on the bed as soon as the light goes off - cheeky one!) so maybe he's guilt tripping us with his eyes!
 
Kat_Bath said:
Maybe! He isn't allowed in our bedroom (he just gets on the bed as soon as the light goes off - cheeky one!) so maybe he's guilt tripping us with his eyes!
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Ah well if he is allowed to be with you all day and not in the room at bedtime maybe that is why? (Not judging you - I have no idea how anyone can have a normal married life with a dog on the bed, if we ...ummm... cuddle Tawny leaps on us!!)
 
Clodagh said:
Should you not be grateful for that? Just how much do they weigh? And do they really sleep on your bed!?o_O
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😂 they are 38-39kg each and no they don’t really sleep on the bed. When I’m in alone my younger dog gets up for a cuddle but heads off as soon as hubby comes in or he gets too warm.
 
Tawny is 22kgs and she takes up enough of the bed - imagine nearly twice that! My BIL and SIL sleep with two JRTs and a GWP - madness! Just a normal sized double bed too.
 
Agree with Clodagh in post #25 (sorry can't get the hang of the new style quote thing yet).

Cats would be too nervous to greet in the way that dogs do, i.e. to greet/meet on another (sniffing each other's back ends) - cats would rather keep facing a dog (the potential danger) as they probably would feel insecure when turning around and not keeping a good eye on the dog's demeanour/movements. They need to be alert and assess the dog's movements so they can escape as soon as there's any sign that they are going to be chased or worse.

JennBags - just curious - if I may ask, why do you always stay in the kitchen at parties? :cool:
 
I thought the rolling was pack behaviour.
Making sure that the scent of all members is on all individuals belonging to the pack.
 
The last course I went on touched in this and it is said that the dogs are 'sharing' sent it is neither dominating or submissive it's usually that they are quite comfortable with the company they are sent sharing with and are happy for all over body contact whilst in exposed positions.
It can be seen as a happy ir excited behaviour but that depends on the dog and situation at the time.
 
npage123 said:
Just love it when my pets do these things, and glad to hear of some more owners allowing their pets on beds! Very sweet behaviour and (as you all no doubt know) they're celebrating the close contact that's being allowed by us owners, plus that this is happening on our bed where our body odours are very strong
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What's your evidence for this? Have to say it sounds a bit La La Land to me...
 
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