Does your dog turn around several times (according to some, it’s actually 3 times) before lying down? Your dog is only doing what comes naturally.
In the wild, dogs looked for a comfortable, safe place to lie down in. They used their paws to trample an area and circled several times, ensuring a soft bed, free of dangers like snakes, rocks, insects. Wolves and wild dogs live in packs. In cold weather they will circle close enough for warmth but with enough room to mark their own territory. On warm days, clearing the area exposes the cooler layer of dirt.
The dog’s ancestor, the wolf, can be observed exhibiting this behavior. It is instinctive and has been retained by domestic dogs.
Can a dog count and turn around precisely 3 times? I’ll have to observe next time my dogs make their beds and do my own addition.
So don’t worry, it’s not that your dog doesn’t like that soft, expensive bed you have him/her. Your dog is just remembering its wild days.
Does it worry you when your dog seems to inhale his/her dinner? Again, your dog is acting out instincts from the wild.
Dogs and wolves are pack animals. In the wild, while there is a hierarchy in eating from the kill, wolves eat very quickly, seemingly barely swallowing before the next bite. They do this to make sure they get their portion of food before anyone else tries to take it away.
Our domesticated dogs continue this behavior. If it’s a concern to you, there are dishes available now that have a center piece, encouraging dogs to eat more slowly. There is a theory that dog breeds prone to stomach torsion (bloat) may benefit from eating from such a dish.
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