For those who have not had a dog, imagining the degree of familiarity that is generated with these pets is very difficult to explain. The dog is a pack animal, it needs to feel integrated in each and every one of the family actions, and despite the fact that its mind does not allow it to understand most of the dynamics, it does manage to communicate and integrate so that everything ends up making sense. for him.
This makes the owners themselves also integrate the presence of the dog in moments that are sometimes even surreal or difficult to explain to those who are not used to living with these pets. For example, it is common for dogs to insist on entering the toilet with us and stay very close when we are doing our needs, look at us, and try to give us some "support." This, which for dogs is not inconvenient, for humans is a litmus test of intimacy and familiarity in which not everyone is willing to compromise. Why do they do it?
In order to understand why the dog insists on being by our side when we are in the toilet, we tend to understand the symmetrical situation: why does the dog stare at us when it is relieving itself in the street?
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The dog's look is a call for help
It depends on the temperament of the dog in question, the breed and the environment, but the truth is that it is a very common gesture, the dog searches with He looks at his reference human and establishes intense eye contact with him. There are several theories that try to explain it, but the most widespread is that for the dog this situation symbolizes vulnerability and, with his look, he is asking for protection.
If you live in an urban environment, you will have detected that the moments in which your dog is going to defecate can be moments of deep indecision, they look for the best place based on smell. They are aware that during defecation they will be "blocked" for a few moments, that is, they will not be able to protect themselves from any threat that they instinctively never stop anticipating, and they need to make sure that the place on which they are going to defecate is the right one. safer than those in the area. That is why you will see how your dog increases the rhythm of his step, sniffs, bends down, continues walking... Until he finds the perfect place.
When the dog decides that the time has come, it does so based on the security it has given itself, choosing a good place, and leaning on you to protect it if there is any incident, for this reason they usually defecate with head towards you, to establish eye contact and so that you can see what is happening behind him.
This explains why, too, the dog positions itself very close when its reference human goes to the toilet. He is aware that you are also in an intimate moment, that you are going to be relaxed and in a position that is not conducive to combat, and if something happens: he will take care of protecting you. A “quid pro quo” relationship is established, I take care of your back and you take care of me.
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Dogs on the Run
When dogs defecate they tend to show a very curious behavior once they finish: they run. This is complex because it makes it difficult to collect the feces if the dog is on a leash. A dance ensues, the dog trying to escape and the owner opening a bag and trying to clean the floor. It is as if the dog is ashamed of what it has done.
However, dogs (like any other animal) are not capable of reflecting at this level on their own actions, they do not make moral conjectures or behavioral judgments. Shame is not a possible feeling for your dog. The explanation, when we talk about dogs, is always the most obvious: specialists agree that the reason why dogs run after defecating is that they feel free and it gives them pleasure to move: it is joy, not shame.
Why always in the same place?
Dogs are animals of habit, but sometimes this square way of acting is surprising. Dogs can become very manic when it comes to defecating in a place, and if they grow fond of a place, they may always insist on doing it in the same place.
Sometimes it is a matter of a few square centimeters, the dog looking for the exact same place to defecate. If he does it in an open field, this may be more conventional, but if the dog lives in the city and gets into the habit of defecating, for example, on a specific cobblestone on a certain street, it is not uncommon for the owner to wonder why. .
It's simple, the dog associates that in a specific place on the street it has already defecated several times and that it has never had any problems: it provides a guarantee of safety. For him it is a space of protection because he has been able to test it several times and it has never let him down.
Rules between dogs
Many times we see how our dog does not stop fighting and playing with other dogs, and if it is a female dog and she is in heat, the situation may even be more implicated by both. Then a squeeze comes on and he looks for a place to defecate. As a human one tends to think: what will happen now?
Dogs have their own code in which, if they recognize that the opponent, the playmate or the conquest is in a vulnerable situation due to defecation, they stop bothering and continue with their games elsewhere. This, which for humans is a form of normalized respect within our customs, for them is simple hygiene: nobody wants to trip over a dreg.
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