As humans, we don’t always understand what dogs are thinking. Even with the help of scientific research, which is still lacking in the area of canines, we can’t be entirely sure of what is going on inside the minds of our furry friends. However, based on the research that has been done, we can make some very well-informed conclusions, which can help us understand some of the behaviors we see in puppies and adult dogs.
In this month’s series, I will discuss some unusual behaviors you might see in your puppy. Though these behaviors may be displayed in dogs of any age, I will focus on puppies. But before we get to today’s behavior, I want to take a moment to define two terms. Let’s get started!
What is Behavior?
Behavior is an observable expression of an internal state. This means that behavior is only something we can observe and measure. Unless we can get the subject’s explanation of why they performed a behavior, we cannot fully understand why it happens. Even with people who do explain their behavior, sometimes they too must learn about themselves before they fully understand why they did something. With animals, we have a language barrier. This language barrier is why speech buttons have become such a fascinating tool with animals, as it might give animals a way to speak our language so we can understand how they feel and get a glimpse into the thoughts behind their behavior (I should note that it is still being determined if a dogs ability to use speech buttons is due to simple cause and effect training or if they are truly able to understand language and use human words to communicate). But for most of us, we can only use observation and study to help us understand why a behavior happens. Thankfully, trainers and scientists have begun to keep track of behaviors and the common triggers associated with them. In today’s post, and the following three posts in this series, I will be basing my explanations of the behaviors mentioned off of observations in my own experiences with raising and training puppies, observations grounded in over a decade of learning to understand dogs and the science behind their learning abilities.
What is Adaptability?
There are so many puppies in the world right now, and if there is one thing I have learned from working with puppies, it is that no two puppies are the same. Each is an individual, and each comes with its own temperament and personality. However, we can boil down certain aspects of these temperaments and personalities into measurable qualities we can watch out for. One of these qualities is adaptability.
Adaptability is going to be very important to understand before I dive into specific behaviors. Adaptability is the ability to recognize and accommodate novel stimuli. The ideal form of adaptability is that which happens reasonably fast and with little to no emotional scarring. In puppies, a good form of adaptability is when your puppy can perceive and calmly respond to new stimuli without feeling the need to hide or attack. Though some avoidance or caution is normal, and even sometimes a good sign, adaptability is often displayed through things like curiosity, quick recovery, and a general “lack of concern” after encountering a non-threatening novel stimulus.
Now that we know a bit about behavior and adaptability let’s look at an unusual behavior and its possible causes.
The Handstand
For today’s behavior, I will discuss the handstand (or front paw stand). The handstand is when a puppy lifts its hind legs off the ground, standing on its front paws only. Some puppies only lift their back legs off the ground an inch or so, while others will go into a full handstand. To help you understand this behavior, I want to explain some of the things I look for when this behavior is displayed and how those things relate to both the internal state that seemed to result in the behavior and how it connects to the concept of adaptability. While I might not focus specifically on how behaviors connect to internal state and adaptability in the following posts, I wanted to do it today as this example will help you understand the articles in the rest of this series. So, let’s take a look at this unusual behavior and some possible reasons for it.
Antecedents
First, we want to look closely at the behavior and take note of its antecedents, anything that could have triggered the behavior. Sometimes, the handstand is done while urinating, especially in older unfixed male puppies. It is also common in small dogs. I have also noticed both small dog breeds and young puppies doing this when walking on tall, wet, cold grass. Other puppies have done the handstand when eating food. So, now that we have looked at some of the things that are taking place around the puppy that might have triggered the handstand behavior, let’s take a look at some possible internal states that may have motivated the expression of this unusual behavior.
Possible Internal States and Possible Reasons Behind Behavior
Along with the obvious reasons, urination is often used as a messaging system between dogs. One common theory of why small dogs and puppies (probably older puppies who are male and still intact) may stand on their front paws while urinating is to get the urine higher up on the tree, thus making themselves appear bigger to dogs coming by after the fact. I have not researched this in-depth, but I would recommend caution when assuming the dog feels the need to be viewed as bigger, as this theory is hard to research and may be due to old beliefs in dominance theory, which has been shown to be less scientifically sound than it was once believed to be. Another possible reason puppies may do a handstand is that some puppies may need to pee in this position for medical reasons—for example, a puppy with a physical impairment.
When it comes to puppies on grass, based on facial expressions, ear position, and spine curvature in the puppies I have seen, I would say that handstands in this context are potentially due to the grass brushing against the puppy’s belly. The belly is a very sensitive part of the body, and grass brushing against it may cause some shocking temperature changes or a tickling sensation. Some grass may even be scratchy and sharp, causing some discomfort.
Puppies who do the handstand while eating food are probably simply dealing with a weight distribution problem. The head contains a high percentage of body weight in young puppies; thus, dipping the head down into a bowl to eat when the puppy is still developing neck muscles may cause some balance reflexes to come into play. Keeping the back muscles flexed and the head down, the puppy may teeter on its front paws. Most puppies grow out of this. However, if your puppy continues to do this as it ages, consult your vet to ensure there are no physical issues.
Understand Body Language
As you can see with this handstand behavior, we can often find likely reasons for behavior by observing the puppy’s surroundings and emotional expressions. Because of this, knowing how to interpret emotional expression in your puppy is important. Thankfully, there is enough research and observation on this subject that we can confidently apply what we know, as long as we don’t assume we know everything about what an animal is feeling (we might still learn new things about them over time). It is essential that you learn to understand this before you get your puppy, so you are prepared. If you already have a puppy, make sure to look into learning about this as soon as possible. Below is a list of great books that can be a huge help!
Adaptability
In many of these situations, how your puppy adapts (or doesn’t) to the environment can tell you a lot about what your puppy is thinking. If you have a good idea of how to read your puppy’s body language, you should be able to tell if your puppy is adapting to its surroundings well. For example, suppose your puppy tends to pee in the handstand position when it sees other dogs. In that case, it may be dealing with some confidence issues, and you may need to work on some self-control and/or social confidence (please get in touch with a trainer before you come to a conclusion, as this is not the case for all puppies). However, if it only does it once, then your puppy might have adapted to the situation. If that is the case, you should observe your puppy closely around other dogs to ensure it is not displaying any fear behaviors. If your puppy does the handstand on grass a couple of times but then adapts, that is good. If it always does a handstand on grass, you may need to work on conditioning strange sensations coming in contact with your puppy’s belly.
In short, please pay close attention to your puppy’s behavior and learn how to read it accurately to the best of your, and science’s, ability. If your puppy needs help to adapt, offer that help with kindness and reinforcement. If it adapts to new things quickly, enjoy that adaptability, but make sure you do not overstep your puppy’s natural abilities without training and considering your puppy’s emotional state and needs. If your puppy displays strange behavior without showing signs of stress, and you have ruled out medical conditions, then maybe your puppy just finds the behavior fun!
Does your puppy ever do handstands? Like this post and let me know in the comments!
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