My Dog Essay Example: Surprising Causes and Reactions of Dog Behaviors

The emotions of and feelings of animals have always been hard to read and understand. Even though dogs are man’s best friend, we understand them much less then we often think we do. These magnificent creatures have very difficult personalities to read, since their actions could be caused by feeling many different things at once, like pain or emotions. There are many mismatched causes for certain behaviors that dogs exhibit. These causes sometimes have surprising reactions, especially if they are trying to tell their human something. 

There are many reasons why a dog behaves the way they do, especially if they are trying to tell their human something. Dogs often bark, for example, at many different strange sounds. They might bark because of thunder, a truck going by on the road, a knock on the door, hearing voices as people walk by on the sidewalk, and other dogs if they hear them. Now, we as humans often think these things are insignificant, but the animals are really trying to tell you something.

Whether the sound makes them uncomfortable or they think there is a possible threat, there is always a reason to listen to your dogs. There are many factors that add together to equal how a dog behaves and feels. In their immediate area, the owners, environment, food, bedding, toys, stability, and other dogs are important to make a dog feel safe in their home. Outside of that, there are strangers -- humans and dogs – as well as other animals like cats, horses, donkeys, and birds. In addition, cars, planes, fireworks, and thunder can also affect how a dog feels and their behavior. 

About My Dog

Nala, my white Labrador Retriever, is the sweetest dog that I have ever met, and she’s usually very clear when she wants to tell me something. If she wants to go outside, she sits by the back door and whines or she grabs my shirt and gives me little tugs. If she wants a bone, she will scratch on the pantry door until it is open and just go right in and get one. If she wants to chase lizards and grasshoppers in the front garden, she will bark and whine at the front door until I go out with her. I considered myself an expert in reading behavior since I could tell when someone would make her uncomfortable by watching who she stays around. She normally stays near me or my father, making laps between us to assure herself that we are okay.

I can read the signs of when she is about to have a seizure and when she is very anxious. One day, my father received a phone call from a family friend. The water tank connected to the well had broken on our family farm where he lives. My dad loaded his Suburban with his tools and Nala and I tagged along with him. When we arrived, my dad shook hands with Brandon and they headed over to the broken water pump connected to the tank. Instantly, I noticed Nala’s behavior change. She normally would greet Brandon by demanding to be pet, but instead, she hung back by me and followed me very closely.

I alerted my father to what I noticed, but he thought she had only acted up because we had found a snake a few minutes after arriving at the farm. My father and I knew that Brandon had a fear of big dogs just like Nala, but she was the only exception. Brandon would often ask if Nala would be coming to the farm whenever we would. She had always been very friendly with him, but the men were too focused on the broken water pump to notice her behavior. 

I knew Nala was trying to tell me something, and I also knew that there had to be a good explanation as to what was bothering Nala. At the time, I wasn’t sure what it was. She would never think of acting this way around my father or I, and she very much liked Brandon. I had searched around for snakes, took her to see our donkeys and chickens, then took her for a ride on the four-wheeler. She acted perfectly normal, but when I returned to the area where the water pump was, Nala resumed her strange behavior.  I sat down on a stool, and Nala pressed up in between my legs, so there was no room in front of me except for her.

I hadn’t noticed when Brandon had gone into his home to get a tool that my father had forgotten to bring. When he came out, Nala acted the same as she had when we entered the area. When Brandon walked by, Nala casually stood up and took a few steps. She then bit him and returned to my lap as if nothing had happened. I was shocked. Thankfully, it was more of a warning bite, but it still had completely surprised me. Of course, Brandon had reacted surprised. He had dropped a pocket knife, since he had used it to help my dad. He jumped around a bit and when he was away from it, Nala surprisingly went over and licked his pocket on his hip a few times. That was when I figured it out. She had seen the knife and thought Brandon was a threat because of it. I had never noticed the knife in the first place and was surprised at her attentiveness. 

Conclusion

While we may not fully understand when dogs and other pets are trying to tell us something, there is usually a reason. Dogs act the way they do for many reasons, whether we think they are acting stupid or not. The causes of dog behaviors can sometimes have surprising reactions, like when a dog bites someone with seeming no provocative behavior.