10 Things That Bring Our Dogs Joy

BY TRACY MCQUARRIE

Our pets bring us absolute joy everyday of our lives, sometimes they can just give a little sigh of content and it makes our hearts skip a beat.

As humans, we often mistakenly believe what brings us joy would naturally bring our dogs joy, which is just not the case.

We are different species after all. And they are just trying to live their best lives in this crazy human world of ours. So many of the things that bring us joy, our dogs cannot relate to and more often than not, things that bring our dogs absolute joy, seem absurd to us and some people wrongly classify these as bad behaviours.

HERE ARE 10 THINGS THAT BRING OUR DOGS JOY (THAT WE DON’T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND!)

At Dogtown, we’re lucky enough to spend our days with dogs—lots of dogs! And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that dogs find joy in the weirdest, wackiest, most wonderful ways. Sometimes it leaves us scratching our heads… but that tail-wagging happiness? That’s what it’s all about!

Here are a few of our furry friends’ favourite things—scientifically backed, delightfully doggy, and totally hilarious

1. The Joy of sniffing Absolutely everything.

You might just see a patch of grass. Your dog sees an entire crime scene investigation with a full cast of characters. Their noses are 100,000 times more powerful than ours, and they love using them! This is by far one of the most underused natural behaviours of our dogs. We have seen in the shelter environment laying out a scent track for our dogs and letting them use their noses to follow a track provides them with a huge amount of mental enrichment and relief and more often than not leads to a good snooze after. So when you’re out on a walk, let your dog stop and sniff along the way, it really brings them so much joy.

2. Carrying around “Trash Treasures”.

Old stick? Empty bottle? Piece of fluff? In their eyes, it’s the crown jewels. We might not get it, but for them, it’s part of the fun of being on an adventure. I always have a giggle when we spend hundreds of rands on a toy and I look into the garden to see the dogs having the best time with an empty plastic water bottle they found.

3. Rolling in something that Really stinks.

Eau de compost bin, anyone? While we’re holding our noses, our pups are grinning from ear to ear. Why? It’s instinct—a throwback to their wild ancestors who masked their scent for survival. Sort of like us putting on our perfume before heading out. Our dogs are not a fan of our strong perfume scents they find it way too strong for their sensitive noses. If I’m honest, this may be the one behaviour that gets me every time, especially as they seem to really enjoy rolling in Hadadas poop straight after their bath.

4. Sleeping in the weirdest positions.

I can’t even count the amount of photos I have taken of my dogs in weird positions. Upside down, paws in the air, head hanging off the bed… somehow, it’s peak comfort. Go figure. We think to ourselves, how can that be comfortable? But to them it’s the perfect combo of safety, temperature control, and personal preference.

5. Shredding paper like a Rockstar.

Torn-up toilet roll may be your nightmare, but to them, it’s an Olympic event. Shredding activates natural instincts and gives them a sense of satisfaction (…unfortunately for your couch cushions). Although we find this behaviour alarming, if we don’t provide our dogs with the right outlets for them to display their natural behaviours they will find their own.

6. The ZOOMIES

This is my favourite thing to watch. You know the look: eyes wide, paws flying, ears flapping. It’s not madness—it’s sheer joy in motion. Often triggered by play, excitement, or post-bath glee! Many people think the dogs are going mad, especially when they are heading your way at full speed. If you think about it, footballers do the exact same thing when they score a goal. It’s celebrations all round!

7. Sniffing Your… Ahem, Private Area.

It’s not rude. It’s science. Dogs greet and gather information this way—it’s like checking your social media profile, just with more sniffing. This one we’ve just got to accept I’m afraid.

8. Digging the perfect hole.

To us? A ruined garden. To them? A cool escape, a secret stash, or a place to cool down. Digging satisfies their natural nesting and hiding instincts. A simple dedicated digging patch is a great solution. This gives your dog the perfect place to dig to find hidden treasures and it is one sure way of protecting your prized petunias.

9. Barking at “Nothing”.

When your dog starts barking at the invisible, trust that they know something’s out there. They can hear frequencies and detect smells we humans can’t—they’re not barking mad, they’re just tuned in.

10. Following you absolutely everywhere.

To the bathroom. To the couch. To the kitchen (especially the kitchen). It might feel a little clingy, but to your dog, you are their safe space, their hero, their best friend. Wherever you go, they just want to go too. How amazing that you are loved unconditionally. When I get up in the middle of the night looking like I’ve just been dragged out my bed backwards there my little Buddy is at my feet, looking at me like I’m the best thing in the whole wide world. Who doesn’t love that constant admiration.

So there you go, 10 things that bring your dogs joy. Did you see most of them are normal doggy stuff, but our companionship is in there, their love for us is undeniable. We need to give them safe outlets for their natural behaviours and remember they are dogs not humans, even though they are our furkids.