Why Does a Dog Turn Around Before He Sits?

If you own a dog, you may have watched in perplexed amusement as he scratched furiously at the ground and turned around in circles several times before sitting or lying down. Behaviors like this, which seem to serve no purpose, are instinctive and derive from the wolf ancestry of dogs.

  1. History

    • Based on DNA evidence, researchers currently believe the dog was domesticated in Asia at least 15,000 years ago, with some scientists arguing that dogs and humans have been partners for as long as 100,000 years. The domesticated dog evolved from a tamer version of the gray wolf. Scientists postulate that less fearful wolves approached human settlements for food, and humans, in turn, adopted these animals, favoring those with more puppy-like characteristics such as a willingness to be petted, large eyes and droopy ears.

    Significance

    • Although the domesticated dog is considered to be a separate species from the wolf, dogs still share some instinctive behaviors with wolves. One of these is turning around before sitting or lying down. This behavior has two possible explanations.

    Theories/Speculation

    • One is that dogs, when they lived in the wild, would turn around to flatten the grass and make a more comfortable resting spot. Second, wolves have been observed during the hot months of summer engaging in a similar behavior to reveal a cooler layer of soil. Though domesticated dogs tend to have comfortable, stuffed beds or a cushioned crate, this instinct has remained.

    Precedents

    • You are not alone in wondering about your dog's seemingly quirky traits. Evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin in "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" (1872) offered many anecdotes about the behavior of dogs, explaining how dogs perform instinctive actions that no longer have a function in their present lives as man's best friend. In particular, Darwin addressed this topic, noting he had a friend whose dog would turn around as often as 20 times before settling down. Darwin's explanation that the purpose of this behavior is to trample down the grass has been accepted ever since, although scientists now know a lot more about the evolution and history of dogs due to DNA analysis and archaeological discoveries.

    Considerations

    • The next time you see your dog turning around before lying down and drifting off to sleep, appreciate the long evolutionary history of dogs that has resulted in their uniqueness as a species that exhibits wild and domesticated characteristics.