Mary Allen
Some of the behavior of dogs seems to us, humans, at first glance, strange … But: Sometimes it makes sense. Example: Your dog is spinning in a circle before lying down. In the wild, whirling served a purpose.
There are several theories as to why dogs spin in circles before napping and then calm down.
Some suspect that the four-legged friends may have chased away snakes or other pests by walking around.
Another thesis is that dogs marked their territory by doing so. Finally, there are glands on the paws that secrete scent. Other dogs that approach the sleeping area during the day can immediately smell that the sleeping area is already occupied. In addition, the pirouette gives the dogs another panoramic view. Before you close your eyes to sleep, it does not hurt to check the area for possible enemies.
One thing is certain: it is highly likely that the dogs’ behavior at some point served as a good cause. And before that, they moved to our house and conquered with dog baskets and plush blankets. Besides these possible answers about running in a circle, there is another theory that is probably the most logical.
Dog Runs in a Circle to Create a Place to Sleep
Psychology professor Stanley Coren has done research on this topic. Finally, he wanted to change the fact that there is still no evidence for different theories. So he left 62 dogs alone in the restricted area and watched them lie. Half lay on a smooth carpet, the other half on an uneven deep-pile carpet.
And his observations are clear: of the dogs that were on a smooth surface, only slightly less than one in five (19 percent) turned in a circle before lying down. For dogs on uneven ground, 55 percent. In addition, they often revolved around themselves more than once.
Koren concludes that whirling probably has one main purpose: to create a comfortable nest. However, he admits that his attempt certainly did not refute other explanations. So it is possible that a combination of all of these causes your dog to spin around before lying down.