If You've Ever Wondered Why Dogs Walk in Circles Before Lying Down, Here's Your Answer
Your dog's not just a lunatic—the circling bit just hasn't been bred out yet! The circle-then-lay bit is very valuable for dogs living in the wild and can be critical to survival. It may seem a bit silly for this habit to still exist in domestic pups, but it simply hasn't been bred out of their habits yet. When the ancestors of dogs we're familiar with today lived in the wild, the process of circling around before finding a place to sleep would mat down grass, as well as scare away any bugs or snakes that might be in the place they want to sleep.