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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2018 53 WHY DO DOGS SCRATCH AT THEIR BEDS? By Laura Agadoni INSTINCT: Pet dogs are related to coyotes, foxes, wolves and other wild canine creatures that dig dens to raise their pups. A den serves as protection from the elements and from predators. Although your domesticated canine probably lives in great comfort — with perhaps his own house and bed, and with no fear of being snatched up and eaten — he may still desire to sleep in a denlike environment, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Scratching at the bed is instinctual; it's what your dogs' wild kin have done for ages to soften the ground. COMFORT: You plump your pillows or arrange your bedding just the way you like it before you sleep to get comfortable. Your dog likes to be comfortable, too. It can be funny to watch some of the rituals: A dog might head-butt the blanket, dig at the bed and spin around several times or more. Your dog is behaving as he would while gathering moss or leaves to make a relatively comfy bed outside, said James Glover, a retired New Jersey veterinarian, in Pet Peoples Place. Your dog is probably not signaling to you that he finds his bed uncomfortable, but you could consider adding some extra padding or blankets to see whether it cuts down on or increases the pet's nesting action. MARKING TERRITORY: Dogs, being territorial creatures, mark areas to claim the spaces as theirs. They usually do this by urinating on objects. Both male and female dogs mark territory. Dogs have other ways of marking besides urination; one is by scratching at bedding. Dogs have sweat glands in their paws, which leave a scent on bedding when they scratch at it. Dogs are more likely to take to a bedding spot if it is in an area they already consider theirs, according to VPI Pet Insurance. At our Pack Walks all dogs are welcome and we practice techniques to calm barking dogs. Join us Saturday mornings at 8 am, in front of The Lodge, Tuesdays at 6 pm, or Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 pm at the Summit parking lot (*note our expanded schedule!). Please, no retractable leashes. For information about the Dog Owners Group, contact Patrick and his dog, Ricky Ricardo at dog_owners@yahoo.com. ~ Patrick Gerety D.O.G. Tails & Trails - All Pets October will be a very busy month for Tails and Trails. Please note the time change for our October meeting. BLESSING OF THE PETS: We will be hosting our third Annual Blessing of the Animals. The custom of the Blessing of the Animals has been gaining in popularity worldwide. This is reflected in the great participation from residents at our past events. We are very pleased, once again, to have Reverend Jean Laurin conduct the individual blessing of each animal. Dogs, cats, birds and all other resident pets are all welcome. We will be providing water, for both pets and their humans and poop bags (just in case). This year's blessing will take place on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 4 to 6 pm at the parking lot area north of The Lodge. We hope you will join us for this wonderful, non-denominational event. Harvest Craft Fair: Santa has his elves and we have our amazing volunteers and donors. We are going to continue our fundraising trajectory by hosting our first-ever craft table at the Harvest Craft Fair on Oct. 20. We will have pet-related items and a few additional items that might make for great greeting card inserts or gifts. Be sure to stop by. If you have any hand-crafted items that you would care to donate for this event, please contact us at the email address or phone number listed below. Our October meeting of Tails and Trails is Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 4 pm in the RCN. This is a change from our regular schedule as we explore options that will enable more residents to participate in our meetings. We will advise our members should this become permanent. For more information about Tails & Trails or to learn how you can help, please follow us on Facebook at Four Seasons Tails and Trails, contact us at fsbtailsandtrails@gmail.com or call Martha at (951) 295-7209. ~ Martha Baumgarten

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