Interesting question and there is a lot of speculation as to why dogs eat grass without any definitive answer. We have an article on this topic. One of our writers did a lot of research on this topic and I'll share the information she found.

One thing we do know is that dogs are descended from wild canids (wolves and foxes), which ate the entire "kill" when they hunted for food. Since they consumed many herbivores (plant-eating animals), they wound up eating a lot of plants and even berries found in the stomach and intestines of their prey. Interestingly, carnivores tend to go for the stomach and its contents first, so it's likely that dogs may eat grass because they like it and it was once part of their normal diet.

Then, some believe that dogs may eat grass when they don't feel well.. Others believe that dogs vomit because they eat grass.

Most veterinarians believe that dogs eat grass simply because they like it, and vomiting just naturally follows. When dogs eat grass, the grass acts as an irritant and causes vomiting.

No matter what the reason, your dog's "grass" habit is a normal behavior and you need not be concerned about it. A note of caution, however: Take care that your pet does not eat grass that has been treated with fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides. This could cause stomach upset or even worse problems for your dog.

Pity the poor mailman who braves through heavy downpour, icy roads, and under a scourging sun to have your mail delivered promptly to your home only to be confronted by your insubordinate, barking, and snarling dog. And even after the mailman closes the mailbox's lid or drops off the mail through the door and walks away, your dog seems to keep up his excitable behavior and continue barking as if someone is breaking into the house.

This episode will repeat day after day for weeks, months, and years if nothing is done to correct your dog's behavior. Why? Think about it from your dog's point of view. The mailman comes up to the door. Your dog barks and/or chases. The mailman retreats. In your dog's mind, it was the barking or the mailman's "cowardice" that made him go away. The next time the mailman comes, the dog will do it again.

To some extend, small dogs have a greater tendency to bark at any intruders and larger dogs who couldn't wait to bear his fearsome teeth if the subject (mailman) draws near. The true is, not all dogs are born with equal determination to defend their territory against the daily intrusion of mail. There are several explanations to this territorial aggression behavior towards mailman: Self-Defense, Protectiveness, Fearfulness, and Boredom.

Why Does My Dog Dig?

Digging is an instinctual behavior for dogs. In fact, there are some breeds of dogs that were specifically bred, and thus encouraged, for their ability to dig out game like foxes and badgers. Dachshunds and Terriers are a good example, and they typically display a stronger instinct to dig than other breeds. Nevertheless, any dog can get into the habit of digging and it's probably one of those behaviors that you'd rather your dog go without. Like many unwanted behaviors that you'd like to train your dog not to do, it can be very helpful to first understand the reasoning behind the behavior.

There are many reasons why a dog will dig. First, there are those dogs who dig in order to escape. There may just be a lot more interesting things on the other side of the fence than there are on your dog's side of the fence, or your dog may be left outside and alone too much and may be trying to get to you. Another reason why a dog left outside and alone too often or too long may dig is simple boredom. In this case, you need to deal with his boredom by providing him with toys or playing with him. Dogs who are unspayed or unneutered may be attempting to escape in order to mate. Lots of dogs will dig themselves a shallow hole in warmer weather and then lie in it because the deeper layers of soil are usually cooler and more appealing. In this case, make sure that your dog has relief from the heat, either by bringing him inside or ensuring that he has a cool, shady spot and plenty of water. Dogs, particularly females, may also dig in order to create a den, while other dogs will dig to uncover a bone or other treat they've previously buried. Also, if you fertilize your garden with bone or blood meal, it's very likely that your dog has picked up on the scent and is digging in an attempt to find an imagined bone.

Dogs lick for a number of reasons. They lick to groom themselves and others. Mothers lick their puppies to clean them and stimulate their urination and defecation. Older puppies and the young of wild canids (relatives of the dog such as wolves) lick the mouths of the adults as a greeting to stimulate them to regurgitate. The puppies eat this regurgitated food as they are weaned from their mother and begin to eat solid food. As the puppies grow older, the licking becomes a way of welcoming others back into the pack and increasing the bonds between the pack members.

This last reason for licking (greeting and begging) is probably the one that has developed into the licking tendency of pet dogs. Licking is a way our pet dogs can greet us, say 'glad you're back!' and strengthen their relationship with us.

Since we human are part of pet dogs they see at us no different than them, therefore, they see us as peers - with a certain higher hierarchy that is that they go through the same identification process as any other of the pack.

In other words dogs smell our crotches to identify us. Although it is reasonable to think that the scents exuded in certain areas of our body are more attractive to them than others. Also, the crotch is most often at the same level as their olfactory skills

Is your puppy like a human baby? Young puppies will chew on whatever they can get their mouths on for multiple reasons:

*They are bored and want to play.

Without you there, life for your dog just isn't too entertaining. So they make do with your stuff, and you aren't there to correct them. A dog does not differentiate between a remote control and a chew toy. Both are chew toys to them. What they do know is that you react in an unpleasant manner when it's the remote control and remain calm when they goes for the chew toy. So, naturally, they'll wait until you're gone before tasting the forbidden fruit!

*They have a lot of energy and it needs to go somewhere!

Exercise is very important for all dogs. Certain breeds need more than others depending on the characteristics of that breed. Take time to exercise your dog frequently. Use this as quality time between the two of you. Have family members share in the responsibility. Others have used this as their exercise time as well, and have steady walking routines with their dogs as a personal weight management tool.

*They are teething and are relieving the pressure.

Not unlike their wild dog family, domestic dogs are first nourished from their mothers in the form of milk, and sucking at this stage has two advantages. One, a lack of teeth makes it easier for the pup to create the vacuum needed to get milk from the mother. Two, toothless gums pose less of a threat to delicate nipples, a real plus because infected nipples can lead to infected milk glands (mastitis) and undermine the health of both the mother and the pup.

As the baby puppy teeth grow in and mature, they make the gradual transition from milk to solid food and experience the behavioral changes that go with that. Instead of sucking, they pick things up and carry them around, chew on their mothers' ears and tails, jump on their littermates and grab them by the neck. Mastering these gentler mouthy behaviors later enables adult animals to carry objects (including their own pups), play, and mate without harming the objects of their attention.

*They are just curious and exploring.

Puppies will learn through their mouths. as this is their tool for receiving information about the world around them. They explore by taste and texture. In addition, a puppy may chew around teething time. By nature they are inclined to use their mouths whenever they can. With proper owner guidance, though, many dogs learn to use chewing not only to relieve stress, but also just to enjoy themselves, the same way we humans might sip a relaxing cup of coffee.

You don't really want to read this! Dogs really do some revolting things occasionally but when your dog eats its own droppings, it can really make your stomach turn - especially when it wants to come and greet you afterwards with that oh-so-lovely Fetid Fido grin.

I am sure you do not want any more gory details, but some dogs eat their droppings when their produce has matured on the ground for a little while. Some eat them while they are factory fresh and steaming and others prefer the offerings of other animals, especially cattle, horses, cats and kangaroos. Just to prove there is a word for everything - the term for this charming behavior is coprophagia.

What are the solutions?
Firstly, ensure your dog has no medical reason for its wayward behaviors. Ask your veterinarian to test your dog's stool for parasites of any type. Your veterinarian may also wish to test the functioning of your dog's pancreas.

Put Pooch onto a highly digestible and nutritionally balanced diet to eliminate any chance that a dietary problem is the cause. The digestibility will ensure that it can extract as many nutrients as possible from the food presented and will reduce the volume of feces produced. The feces will also be consistent in form and nature. Lastly, such a diet will ensure that no dietary deficiency is causing the coprophagia.

If your dog has a dietary allergy causing bowel irritation, then this may lead to coprophagia, too. Therefore, to normalize bowel function even further, it is also a good idea to feed your dog a restricted protein or hypoallergenic diet. These diets contain protein sources that are not commonly used in dog food.

A suitable diet to achieve all the above is available from your veterinarian.

Behavioral therapy
Having eliminated any medical cause, now turn to Behavioral therapy.

Bored dogs that live in small backyards and have dull lifestyles often practice coprophagia. Such dogs need the ABC's technique to blow away boredom. The technique refers to the need for Aerobic exercise, Brain work and Cuddles.

To keep a dog on its toes and to provide brain work, a Kong Ball is perfect. These pyramid shaped balls bounce unpredictably and are great for aerobic exercise. When you have finished playing with your dog, you can place some food treats in the hole in the middle of the ball and leave it with your dog. Pooch will then spend quite some time exercising its brain and working out how to get the food out of the hole.

Training the dog not to eat its own produce, or those of others, can be done in a variety of ways, but, how can you train the dog if you do not know when it is going to gobble the googlies?

Try to make the passage of your dog's own googlies more predictable. Generally your dog will want to soil within an hour or so of eating. If possible, restrict it to one meal a day. Conveniently time the meal so that an hour afterwards you can watch the dog closely. Perhaps you will need to keep the dog inside the house so that you will know when it wants to go out.

Try to catch the soiling behavior so that you can either praise the leaving-it-where-it-is behavior or softly discipline the google-gobbling behavior. When motions are produced, praise the leaving behavior. Use a technique I call the 'Good Dog Routine' for this. Wait till your dog passes its offering, then, in a kind voice say 'leave'. Wait for about five seconds, and if Pooch does 'leave it' call him or her to you and liberally praise this sequence of good behaviors.

The above method is the preferable one. However, occasionally, disciplining googly gobbling is necessary. The method is similar to the last but with a different emphasis. It is a process I call the 'Bad Dog, Good Dog Routine'.

Timing is critical. Wait until Pooch goes to take a mouthful. Then, in a very stern voice, shout 'Leave'. The voice should be as sudden as a gun shot and be stern enough to distract and punish the dog. Wait for five seconds to see if you have had effect. Call the dog to you, make it 'Sit' and 'Stay', and then praise this alternative good dog behavior.

Usually, the 'Bad Dog Good Dog Routine' is replaced in time with the 'Good Dog Routine' as the dog learns and punishment is no longer needed.

A process I call the 'Stool Pigeon' approach can be tried too. This is a form of 'self-discipline'. Leave a tasty-looking stool in an obvious spot but cover the stool with a hot sauce or a bittering spray. It is even better if the product is injected into the stool so your dog cannot smell the additives.

You may think you know everything there is to know about keeping your dog healthy and happy. After all, she is your best friend and you give her the best care and spoil her silly. However, do you know that many of the things we think are good or bad for our dogs are actually myths?

Sometimes we hear thing so many times that we just don't question them. If everyone says that something is best for dogs and there are things that dogs simply will not do, we believe them. You should always question casual statements though. Of course, don't be rude, but ask your veterinarian what he or she thinks. Your vet will know what is fact or fiction. In the mean time, check out the sixteen most common dog myths. You might be surprised what's on the list!

Overview

Both we and our dogs engage in a little attention getting behavior from time to time, and there's nothing particularly wrong with that - as long as the behavior stays within reasonable limits. If a dog barks at his owner as if to say, "Hey you! Over here," - that's perfectly acceptable communication if your dog has something to convey and is otherwise being ignored. Likewise, if you are engrossed in conversation and your dog paws at your leg to solicit your attention, or to be petted, it's no big deal to respond if you're up for it.

But what you have to remember is that your dog will quickly learn what works and what doesn't according to how you respond. If you always (or even worse, sometimes) cave in to unreasonable requests, you will get even more of the obnoxious behavior in the future. The principle involved is "positive reinforcement," which effectively ensures that you reap what you sow. Even telling your dog to stop, or reprimanding him, can be rewarding for some dogs. The principle here is that some attention, even negative attention, is better than no attention at all.

Attention seeking behavior can reach serious proportions. Take, for example, a dog that is always barking in your face to maintain your undivided attention, or one that constantly jumps on you or paws you whenever you are talking with a friend. Some dogs try to attract attention by stealing things and chewing them up or even swallowing them. Your hysterical reaction, yelling and chasing the dog to get the object back, can be just what the attention-needy dog wants. The game "keep away" that results is, apparently, a whole lot of fun for the dog - especially if you wave your arms around and scream a lot.

Other attention seeking behaviors can be really strange. Some dogs develop pseudo-medical attention-seeking behaviors, like faking lameness, following a visit to a veterinary clinic where they have received much attention for their ailment. A toy poodle patient of mine scratched violently at his face for years despite intense diagnostic workups and assorted medical interventions by her veterinarian owner. The problem resolved when the other dog in the house died and resumed when the owner acquired another dog. In retrospect, the dog was scratching her face because she wanted attention, any attention, including medical attention, from her veterinarian owner when she engaged in the behavior.

Types of Attention Seeking Behaviors

Barking
Whining
Vomiting
Feigning lameness
Chasing lights or shadows
Snapping at "imaginary" flies
Strange bodily contortions and posturing

What to Do About It

The main principle behind treating attention-seeking behaviors is to ignore the behavior. But it doesn't work right away. In fact, the behavior may get worse, even more intense or more demanding, before it eventually fades away. It's as if the dog is thinking, "That's odd - this used to work. I'd better try even harder to make it work again."

Stages in Treatment
The treatment stages are as follows:

• Owner ignores unwanted behavior, say, stealing objects.
• Dogs steals more items, more often and dances around in front of the owner to try to get him to intervene or chase him.
• Owner continues to ignore the behavior.
• Dog starts to lose confidence in this attention-getting technique and performs it less frequently.
• Owner continues to ignore the dog's charades.

Dogs attention seeking behavior eventually peters out.

Warning

If you give in intermittently, or succumb to your dogs charades after a lengthy period of trying to "tough it out," you will actually reinforce the behavior even more firmly. The dog learns that if he keeps it up, attention will eventually come his way. This is the same principle that keeps gamblers riveted to "one arm bandit" slot machines.

How to Hasten Successful Treatment

Use of a "bridging stimulus" can help speed up successful treatment. A bridging stimulus is a neutral signal or cue that heralds a particular consequence. The actual stimulus could be the sound of a duck call or tuning fork, or the sound made by striking a key on a piano. The noisemaker is sounded at the time the dog is engaging in the unwanted behavior to signal that the owner is about to withdraw attention, perhaps even leave the room. You must follow through after issuing the cue. It must always signal immediate withdrawal of your attention or the dog will fail to make an association between its unwanted behavior and the inevitable consequence.

What the bridging stimulus does is focus the dog's attention on that point in time when attention withdrawal is imminent. It is not intended to be aversive but rather to be a consistent herald of what is to follow. Attention behavior will melt away more consistently and rapidly if a bridging stimulus is used than if attention withdrawal is employed on its own without such a signal.

Philosophical Considerations

If a dog is always begging for attention there must be a reason. It may be that the dog is being ignored at home or that he is spending too much time alone or in a crate. It may be that the dog is getting insufficient exercise or mental stimulation and has excess steam to blow off or has nothing better to do. It is important to address these issues, too, rather than just trying to stop the dog from doing something that annoys you. Attention-seeking behavior may be merely the tip of an iceberg of discontent.

So, in addition to preventing the unwanted behavior it is important to ensure that your dog's lifestyle is all that it should be. Questions to ask and address are:

Does your dog get enough exercise? The minimum is 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily (unless a medical problem precludes this amount).

Is your dog eating a sensible diet? Don't feed your dog "rocket fuel" (performance rations) if he doesn't get much exercise and spends much of the day cooped up at home.

Is your level of communication with your dog adequate? You should be striving toward greater than 85 percent responsiveness to one word "commands" (verbal cues) such a SIT, DOWN, COME, and QUIET.

Is your dog being rewarded with your attention, petting, praise, whatever, by doing something that you like? If not, start indicating your approval of desired behaviors using these rewards.
Does your dog have gainful employment ("a job")? If not, try to engage him in some breed specific activity so that he can perform the function for which he was bred, for example retrieving/hunting exercises for sporting breeds, running chasing for herding breeds, or sniffing things out for hounds.

Conclusion

Dogs that display attention-seeking behaviors are needy individuals that are probably under duress or are in some emotional conflict. Pretty much, any behavior can be reinforced as an attention seeking behavior: Attention-seeking components may be involved in various other behavior problems, too. The attention-hungry dog will do whatever works best to get you to pay more attention to him.