Pry Behavior Question

[naholmes]

Does anyone elses Pry do this: Sometimes I give Duke a bite - a bit of raw chicken, cooked salmon skin, etc. If he finds it particularly good, his teeth chatter!!! Its the strangest thing. I can see the muscles in his head tense and then, the chattering. This usually goes on for just a few seconds. He doesn't do this with any treat - just the really, really good ones.

[Davey Benson]

Originally Posted by naholmes

Does anyone elses Pry do this: Sometimes I give Duke a bite - a bit of raw chicken, cooked salmon skin, etc. If he finds it particularly good, his teeth chatter!!! Its the strangest thing. I can see the muscles in his head tense and then, the chattering. This usually goes on for just a few seconds. He doesn't do this with any treat - just the really, really good ones.

The only thing I know of that comes close, is my black lab.... when he sniffs another dogs "junk" he will do that... I call that his "estrogen detector".

[Jewel]

Yep, my first pyr did that in exactly the same circumstances as Duke, and my current one, Bijou, she does that same thing as well. I don't recall whether I've seen my pyr mix doing that, if he's ever done it, it's rare. I've never seen that reaction from any of the dogs we've owned, none of which were pyrs.

[Tsunibear]

Monty does the chatter jaws but, Missy does not. Missy chuffs instead, it reminds me of a frog watching her cheeks get big and small.

[Espinay]

This is called a flehmen response. Basically the dog is transferring scent to the Jakobsens organ (vomeronasal organs) which are separate scenting organs that open into the roof of the mouth as well as the nasal cavity and are connected to a different part of the brain. Males tend to flehmen more than females - particularly when smelling urine from a female or her rear end - it helps them determine where she is in her cycle, is she in heat etc. Not uncommon for an entire male to be chattering his teeth and getting a bit excited when he is smelling something 'good' LOL!

If you have ever seen a horse raise it lip and stick its head in the air, that is a flehmen response too as they also have a vomeronasal organ.

[Davey Benson]

LOL... see, I didn't know what it was called, but I knew why my dog Sam was doing it. So.... I wonder why he is the only dog I've ever seen doing it here. (ok, currently he is the only dog I have that is un-altered, but my last male pyr was unaltered, and I never saw him doing it. .... hmmm)

[Chicag0_Red]

Probably because PB was still so young.

[naholmes]

Fascinating responses!!!! Thanks all. We have a new Irish Wolfhound pup - Ripley. She is now 3 1/2 months old. The other day, she peed, Duke stuffed his nose under her tail and................. chattered. He is fixed by the way. I have had horses and know all about the upper lip thing. However, I have never seen any other dog do this - ever. Now I know what to tell people when the see this and say "WTF??"