Why Do Dogs Spin In Circles And Scratch/dig The Floor Before Lying Down?

Walking in circles and scratching the ground is one of the natural instincts in most animals before sleeping. It is a bit like humans with their duvet covers and pillows, we pat out our pillows and adjust them to our head position and adjust the duvet to our own preferences. If a dog had arms, it wouldn't walk in circles but merely pat down the ground before sleeping.

• Logical answer
  

There are several stories and rumors as to why animals do this but if you think about it logically, it is a way of making their bed. As it is a natural thing for animals to sleep outside, the ground types can usually be rough so by scratching, they are removing any sticks or stones or bumpy objects that may be uncomfortable for them. As for the circling, they are patting down enough of the ground for them to curl up in.

• Natural instinct
  

If your dog has a bed you will notice it does this here despite the lack of uncomfortable objects. It is an inbuilt natural instinct that they do before settling down and so do not worry about it.

• Other unusual dog traits
  

Dogs do a lot of natural and odd things including scratching the ground after doing their business. This is a way for them to hide their mess or rather cover it up in the grass and dirt they have scratched. This not only hides their mess, but covers it up for hygiene purposes and stores their mark of territory in the scent.

Dogs do this because in the wild, right before wild dogs (wolfs, foxes ect.) are ready to lay down, they are pushing down their nest (which is grass, barkdust, leaves ect.). This gets pockey sometimes, so, they are pushing all of it down to the ground, so that it makes a comfy sleeping area. Our dogs, have that in their blood, so, do the same thing, even though, there is no leaves or barkdust, grass ect.

Well, I think that they so they can fix the area that makes them fell comfortable. I have a dog to and she doesn't stop until she is comfortable.