This question has been boggling my mind all day. Why are dogs so attracted to fire hydrants so much?
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The Gaze of the Abyss
- Feb 2007
- 9295
- Alchemist and Neo-American Redneck Buddhist
- Frozen Northern Michigan, near Thunder Bay
- Where are the tweezers?
Re: Science Question
In the past, firehydrants were used as posts on which disobedient dogs were executed.
Dogs have never forgotten this, so they "pay their respects" every time they pass one.
Humans, conversely, turn instruments of execution into items of veneration. This is why you're confused.Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.
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Head Above Water
- Dec 2011
- 3034
- Ecletic Pagan
- Southeast Michigan
- There is no mastery--only constant improvement.
Re: Science Question
Originally posted by Bartmanhomer View PostThis question has been boggling my mind all day. Why are dogs so attracted to fire hydrants so much?
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Re: Science Question
Yeah. So my pit Lexi likes to run around the front yard when I let her out. Then she goes right to our tree. We have some sort of bulb flowers growing a ring around the tree. She will eat the dirt and just rub her nose in it like it's dognip or something. I couldn't figure out why.
Yesterday while I was in the kitchen, I saw a cat pass through our yard (they like the roses) and stopped to sniff Lexi.
Well then when Lexi gets out she stops to sniff that dang cat.
It's a circle. A circle of silliness. They should meet.
Or they are both stopping to sniff the bunny rabbits that like to frolic in those bulbs.
Who knows what's going on in our yard.Satan is my spirit animal
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Opinionated
- Jun 2013
- 2447
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- Adelaide, Australia
Re: Science Question
It's actually an important part of the intricate non-verbal communication system that dogs have. Seriously.
In the behaviour world we call it 'pee mail', because it's a social 'checking in' behaviour that allows the dogs to gain information about previous visitors to that area. Urine contains certain markers and components that dogs can differentiate, that tell them about the gender, age, health status, hormonal status and stress levels of the dogs who've been before. They can tell what sort of environment the surroundings are likely to be by the stress markers in the urine of dogs who've peed in the area. They can also indicate important messages about the social status and personality of the local dogs, not so much by the pee but by the positioning of the pee in relation to other pee spots. 'Pee mail' is really important social behaviour that can make or break the harmony of a group of local dogs. Scent marking is incredibly important in canine communication, and 'pee mail' is one of the core behaviours for using scent marking.
It sounds weird, but I am deadly serious. Google 'pee mail'.
ETA: It's less about marking territory than it is about communicating. Think of it like... graffiti tags. Some tags indicate territory boundaries while some are communication methods or ways to assert your standing within the gang. Pee mail is like that.
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