Why does my dog spin around in circles before he lays down?
user
Dog behaviorists believe that a dog’s need to perform the bedtime ritual of turning around in circles before lying down is inherited.  Canine ancestors, such as wild wolves, did the same thing, and domestic dogs retained this genetic predisposition. Turning in circles before lying down is an act of self-preservation in that the dog may innately know that he needs to position himself in a certain way to ward off an attack in the wild.
assistant
Can you mention other behaviors that dogs may exhibit that are retained from genetic predisposition?
user
Other behavior like this, in dogs for example following the alpha male.
assistant