While our furry friends do not speak in human languages that we can understand, they do have their ways of communicating through behaviours and body movements. Understanding your pooch’s body language and deciphering every bark of theirs does not come easy. But by regularly bonding with your dog and continual observance, you can begin to understand certain behavioural traits.
One such trait is your pooch rubbing against your towels and laundry. Does this mean it wants to play? Or is it just being a silly mutt? What does this mean? We are sure you might be wondering.
This article explains this unique behavioural feature of dogs and why they rub against surfaces in general:
To get their scent on the towels
Your mutt may rub on a new Dog Towel or any clothing material, area of the house or household object like the sofa to get its scent on those items as a mark of its territory. Marking territories by distributing pheromones is a usual mode of communication amongst pets, and when other dogs or members of a pack perceive the pooch’s pheromones, they are cautious of established boundaries.
To get your scent on their furs
This is the primary reason why dogs roll around in used towels and laundry. Dogs will seek out the scents of their owners because it is a familiar scent, and they will want to be reconnected to that scent, especially when they just had a bath and smell strange, or they miss their absent owners.
Discomfort
This is common where pooches run against towels, carpets or any surface with their faces. This behaviour is usually due to an aching ear, a sore tooth, itchy skin from allergies, discomfort from ticks and fleas, an infected eye, and whatnot. It helps to make a quick check for signs of whatever may be causing the discomfort. And if, after a second opinion from a professional, nothing seems to be amiss, then this might just mean nothing or, better still, a benign attitude.
Playing Around
Sometimes, your mutt can be high on energy and willing to play. The next best thing might be to cosy up in your towel or laundry in the hopes that it will receive the same level of excitement. It could also be a way of being naughty after a bath session and getting the excess water out of their furs after their famous mighty water-shake, which can disperse about 70% of the water residue on their furs.
Sign of stress
Besides the seemingly positive reasons behind dogs rubbing against their owners’ towels and laundry, the act of rubbing against materials could also be a sign of stress if it is followed by your pooch eating or tearing at the fabric or just about non-edible items, including furniture. This behavioural abnormality in dogs is known as pica and can be triggered by an underlying medical issue or stress, anxiety and boredom.
Essentially, our dogs speak to us more than we know it. However, their language is not the language of man. But these traits are some ways we can decipher what our pooches are trying to tell us. Be sure to pay attention!
