Doggy Routines Question: Why do dogs often turn around a few times before lying down? Answer: We could approach this issue anthropologically. Canine culture is peculiar. There is the doggy bone-burying ceremony, which may have religious or economic significance. We are only just now developing a lexicon of tail-wagging signifiers. And cultural theorists have only begun to deconstruct dog-meet-dog sniffing. But when it comes to the old spin-around-before-lying-down routine, there's an awfully simple explanation. Fido's ancestors did not have the benefit of spacious suburban backyards or a nice, cushy pillow in a box in which to nap. Before they could lie down they had to clear a space in which to do it. That meant flattening out the surrounding underbrush by trampling on it. Do that for a few million years and it becomes a habit. Did you ever try to break a habit?     (Source: EVER WONDER WHY? by Douglas B. Smith)