by Ever noticed and wondered why dogs circle in bed before lying down and if it’s normal or something is wrong?
We’ve all probably experienced it – you’re sitting down in front of the television or going to bed and you noticed that your dog is circling in and pawing at the their dog bed or blankets before lying down.
Sometimes your dog might even bunch up the cushion or blankets in their bed with their paws or nose before they final settle down.
This might look strange or concerning to us humans but to dogs it’s their way of creating a safe and comfortable space to lie down.
And yes, it’s a very normal behavior for dogs of all breeds and sizes, and they might be doing it for couple of reasons that could include:
Your dog might be checking their environment for threats
One popular explanation for this circling and digging behavior is that the dog is checking their surroundings and where they are about to lay down for any threats such as insects, snakes or even the smell of other predators.
Circling around gives him a 360-degree view of their surroundings before they settle down and an understanding what is around them.
Sometime your dog will even sniff while they circle so they can smell for the possibility of the approach of anything that is dangerous to them before it arrives.
This all ties into a dog’s basic instinct for survival.
Your dog might be trying to find a cool spot to nap
If you live in a hot climate your dog might rake, dig and circle their bed before lying down in order to displace what they feels is the warmer top layer of their bed. Outside dogs do this to displace the sun warmed top layer of the earth to reach the cooler dirt beneath.
For indoor dogs, the digging at the bed may also be to move some of the stuffing around, flatten out the bed or just get it in the position that they best like it – very similar to what a human might do with a pillow when the lay down to go to sleep.
Your dog in essence is circling and digging to create a comfortable, cool bed to lie down in.
Conclusion
Whether you dog is circling before lying down on their bed inside or in a patch of grass outside, know that this behavior is perfectly normal and completely routed in their DNA as a dog. Though not all dogs perform this routine, if they do, they will most likely always do this even when they’re an older dog.
