9 Strange Reasons Dogs Eat Grass, Lick the Floor, and Do Other Weird Things

Dogs do some pretty strange things.

They’ll turn in three circles before lying down on a perfectly comfortable bed. They’ll enthusiastically roll in something that smells absolutely terrible. And sometimes they’ll suddenly start eating your lawn as though you’ve been starving them for weeks.

Most of the time, we simply shake our heads and say, “Why are you doing that?”

The funny thing is that many of these odd behaviors actually have an explanation. Some go all the way back to a dog’s natural instincts, while others are simply ways dogs explore and communicate with the world around them.

Here are nine strange things dogs do—and what may be behind them.

1. Eating Grass

You’ve fed your dog a perfectly good breakfast.

Then you let them outside and apparently they’ve decided they’d rather have a salad.

Grass eating is extremely common in dogs, and occasional grazing doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong.

Some dogs may simply like the taste or texture. Others may eat grass because they’re bored or because it provides additional roughage.

There’s also the old belief that dogs eat grass specifically because they’re sick and want to make themselves vomit. While some dogs do throw up afterward, that doesn’t mean vomiting was necessarily their goal.

So if your dog occasionally grabs a few blades during a walk or wanders around the backyard nibbling grass, there’s usually no reason to panic.

However, frequent grass eating, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea or other changes in behavior deserve a conversation with your veterinarian.

And, of course, don’t allow your dog to graze on grass that may have been recently treated with potentially harmful lawn chemicals.

2. Licking the Floor or Carpet

This one can be especially puzzling.

Your dog isn’t licking spilled food.

They’re just…

licking the floor.

Sometimes there’s a simple explanation. Dogs have incredible noses, and that apparently clean kitchen floor may still smell like last night’s dinner to them.

Dogs may also lick surfaces because they enjoy the taste or texture, or because licking has become a soothing habit.

An occasional lick isn’t necessarily concerning.

But there’s an important distinction between a dog who occasionally investigates the kitchen floor and one who repeatedly or compulsively licks floors, carpets, furniture or other surfaces.

Persistent licking can sometimes accompany nausea, digestive problems, anxiety or other issues.

If your dog suddenly starts doing it frequently—or simply can’t seem to stop—it’s worth mentioning to your veterinarian.

3. Sniffing Other Dogs’ Behinds

Humans have handshakes.

Dogs apparently decided they needed their own system.

When two dogs meet, one of the first things they often want to do is sniff each other’s rear ends.

To us, this seems like incredibly questionable manners.

To dogs, it’s information gathering.

Dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell, and scent plays a huge role in how they understand other animals and their surroundings. The scent around another dog’s rear can provide information that helps dogs become familiar with one another.

In other words, your dog isn’t trying to embarrass you at the dog park.

They’re basically checking someone’s profile.

4. Circling Before Lying Down

Your dog has a fluffy orthopedic bed.

There’s a blanket on top.

You’ve carefully placed it in the coziest corner of the room.

Yet your dog still has some work to do.

Circle once.

Circle twice.

Maybe circle three times.

Now it’s acceptable.

This behavior is often thought to be connected to instincts inherited from dogs’ wild ancestors. Animals sleeping outdoors would have benefited from trampling down vegetation and checking an area before settling in.

Your dog probably doesn’t need to flatten any tall grass before climbing onto that memory-foam bed.

But apparently nobody told the instincts.

One note: if an older dog suddenly circles repeatedly and seems unable to get comfortable, pain or another health issue could be involved. That’s different from the familiar little bedtime spin many dogs have always done.

5. Kicking the Ground After Pooping

You’ve probably seen this one.

Your dog finishes their business, takes two steps forward and suddenly begins launching grass and dirt behind them like they’re trying to destroy the lawn.

It can look like they’re attempting to cover up what they just did.

They’re probably doing something closer to the opposite.

Dogs have scent glands in their paws, and scratching the ground can leave additional scent behind. The visible scratches may also contribute to the message.

So while you’re standing there holding a poop bag and apologizing to your lawn, your dog may essentially be announcing:

“I WAS HERE.”

Very subtle.

6. Rolling in Something Absolutely Disgusting

There are few moments in dog ownership quite like watching your freshly bathed dog discover something horrible in the yard.

You see the shoulder drop.

Then the head.

Then the entire body starts rolling.

And you know.

Nooooooo!

Too late.

Dogs may roll in strong-smelling things for several reasons. One theory connects the behavior to ancestral instincts involving scent—possibly masking their own smell or carrying interesting scents back to other members of their group.

Whatever the original purpose, modern dogs remain remarkably enthusiastic about it.

Unfortunately, dogs and humans have very different definitions of “That smells amazing.”

Your dog trots proudly toward the house.

You start looking for the shampoo.

7. Staring at You While They Poop

Few relationships involve quite as much eye contact during bathroom breaks as the relationship between a human and a dog.

You take your dog outside.

They find the perfect spot.

Then…

They stare directly at you.

It can feel a little awkward.

There isn’t one proven explanation for every dog, but toileting puts an animal in a temporarily vulnerable position. Some dogs may simply be checking their surroundings or looking toward the person they trust.

There may also be a much simpler explanation.

Dogs pay close attention to us.

They watch our faces constantly for information, reassurance and clues about what happens next.

So if your dog insists on maintaining eye contact during this particular activity, try not to make it weird.

They’re a dog.

You’re the one standing there holding a little plastic bag.

8. Sleeping With Their Feet in the Air

You walk into the room and find your dog completely upside down.

Belly exposed.

Legs pointing in four different directions.

Head hanging halfway off the bed.

They look broken.

They’re probably perfectly comfortable.

A dog sleeping belly-up is often relaxed enough to expose a vulnerable part of the body. Some dogs also seem to choose the position when they’re warm because the belly has less fur than many other areas.

And then there are dogs who simply appear to find upside-down sleeping extremely comfortable.

It may not make sense to us.

But considering humans willingly sleep with six pillows arranged in very specific positions, we’re probably not in a position to judge.

9. Suddenly Eating Dirt

Grass is one thing.

But then you catch your dog actually eating dirt.

An occasional mouthful may simply be curiosity—especially if something interesting was recently buried, spilled or growing in that spot.

Dogs explore the world with their noses and mouths, so sometimes they’re investigating something we can’t detect.

But regularly eating dirt deserves more attention than the occasional taste.

Persistent dirt eating can fall under pica, the eating of non-food items, and in some cases can be associated with nutritional, gastrointestinal, behavioral or other health problems.

There’s also another concern: dirt itself isn’t always harmless. It can contain fertilizers, pesticides, parasites or other substances you don’t want your dog swallowing.

So if dirt eating becomes a habit rather than an occasional weird moment, bring it up with your veterinarian.

Weird Doesn’t Always Mean Something Is Wrong

One of the interesting things about living with dogs is realizing how differently they experience the world.

We walk through the backyard and see grass.

Our dogs smell hundreds of things we don’t even know are there.

We see another dog.

They see—or more accurately, smell—an entire biography.

We see a disgusting patch of something on the ground and immediately walk around it.

Our dogs think:

I should probably roll in that.

Many strange dog behaviors are simply part of being a dog.

The thing to watch for is change.

If your dog has always spun around twice before bed, that’s probably just your dog being your dog. But if a behavior suddenly appears, becomes excessive or comes along with vomiting, diarrhea, appetite changes, discomfort, lethargy or other unusual symptoms, that’s when it’s worth paying closer attention and talking with your veterinarian.