Scratching & Smelling

    • Gold Top Dog

    Scratching & Smelling

    Do your dogs scratch their ears or head and then smell their feet immediately afterwards?
    • Gold Top Dog
    Not too often, but I have one that bites his nails...
    • Gold Top Dog
    All three of my goons do this post-ear scratching, feet smelling behavior.  I've seen Myrika biting her nails, too...maybe she watches me do it. [:D]
    • Gold Top Dog
    No, but that's hilarious! [:D]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Xerxes will lick his feet before he scratches the inside of his ears.  And he bites his nails too, but only the back paws.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I haven't seen my dog do that... But, on the subject of scratching, every morning (every time actually) my dog would "clean-bite" his rear end, he does this hilarious chanting noise: "Aaaaaai-dai-dai-dai-dai-thwop-thlap-aaaaw". It cracks me up so much! [sm=biggrin.gif]
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: TinaK

    I haven't seen my dog do that... But, on the subject of scratching, every morning (every time actually) my dog would "clean-bite" his rear end, he does this hilarious chanting noise: "Aaaaaai-dai-dai-dai-dai-thwop-thlap-aaaaw". It cracks me up so much! [sm=biggrin.gif]

    [:D] hahah!
     
    It seems that quite a few white cats I know have a foot fetish and after giving toes a wiff, they open their mouth and do this weird mild, panty thing.  They almost appear to be smiling with the tongue sort of hanging out.  I've seen it myself and owners report this odd behavior, as well.  Big cats do something similar.  Anyway, your dog's chanting made me laugh and remembered the white cats.
    • Bronze
    I think if I remember correctly cats do that when they smell something really strong because they use their Jocobson organ...Something about the Jocobson organ in the roof of their mouths. Our cat never did that when sniffing herself, but she would when she smelled the scent of a foreign cat. I think male cats usually do it when sniffing out a female in heat. Lots of animals have them from what I understand.
    My old dog ALWAYS scratched his ear and then sniffed his foot. [&:]
    • Gold Top Dog
    That's so weird ... Ixa scratched her ear and smelled her foot yesterday, only once. [sm=haha.gif] What's that about?
    • Gold Top Dog
    I think if I remember correctly cats do that when they smell something really strong because they use their Jocobson organ...Something about the Jocobson organ in the roof of their mouths.


    Yep, they like to "smell" w/ their mouths open.  All three of mine do it on occasion, usually when they are smelling very intensely or smelling something new to them.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Rascal licks his feet before and after scratching his ears. The gross thing is that his ears are so big, compared to his feet, that he kinda sticks his whole foot in there. Grosssss!

    But then again, he never has dirty ear problems, so maybe I shouldn't complain...
    • Gold Top Dog
    OMG, Cita, that's too funny.
     
    MiddleEye and Liesje:  thanks, I vaguely remember something about the Jocobson organ.  Why can't I recall that tidbit when I need to!  Now that you bring it up, I remember the big cats "smelling" with thier mouths open to.
     
    Ixas-girl:  HAH and you thought I was crazy probably! [:D]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Hehee [sm=wavetowel.gif] Oh, I still think you're crazy, it's just now I know I am too [;)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    [sm=wavetowel.gif]...you know it!
    • Gold Top Dog
    .
    ORIGINAL: Xerxes

    Xerxes will lick his feet before he scratches the inside of his ears.  And he bites his nails too, but only the back paws.


    Gawd, Ed, maybe it's a hound thing.

    Horses have something they do with their upper lip when something smells funny - it's called flehmen.  Maybe if you Google on it, you'll find a picture.  They look ridiculous when they do it.