So, the question remains, why do dogs turn around once, twice, and sometimes even three times before they lay down? Is there a true purpose or are our dogs just wired to turn about for no reason at all?
While they all have a variety of personalities and behaviors, there is one thing every dog has done without any training… turned around many times in circles before lying down.
Why?
While there is no scientific data that answers this age old question, Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, recently wrote about his observations after doing an experimental study.
Based on the experimental study of 62 dogs who were observed in playpens with their owners nearby, dogs presented with an uneven surface were three times more likely to turn around before lying down. Also, the dogs with the uneven surface were much more likely to circle more than once before lying down, compared to the dogs with the even surface.
As we were writing this article we observed our own dog as he laid down. He did a half turn in front of his bed and jumped in, stretching out. We never really took a good look at his behavior. The surface was flat in front of the bed but the bed itself is plush and lumpy. Could his sleeping conditions cause the odd little half turn or was it simply something innate?
Only our pooch knows for sure and we think he doesn’t really know or care. It is what it is.
Source: Care2
