# Happy dogs: Do they always spin clockwise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2018, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936 "2018-09-07T09:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/1 "2018-09-07T09:55:00Z")
Mundane is right! I’ve noticed lately that our dog, and every dog I’ve seen on the FaceTube thingy seems to spin clockwise when excited. Is this a thing? Maybe these are right-handed dogs and left-handed dogs spin the other way? ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/2 "2018-09-07T11:03:56Z")
My dog spins west [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West\_Highland\_White\_Terrier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Highland_White_Terrier) Just kidding, my dogs don’t spin at all. My little one barks and my westie dances on her rear legs. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/3 "2018-09-07T11:06:20Z")
My daughter’s pug spins both ways. OK, not at the same time… When he gets all excited - for a cookie, or to go outside, or when it’s suppertime, he spins one way or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/4 "2018-09-07T13:58:09Z")
I think Dixie is a clock-wise. I’ll have to check this morning. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/5 "2018-09-07T14:55:01Z")
I had an Australian Shepherd. He spun counter-clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/6 "2018-09-07T15:01:23Z")
The ones who spin counterclockwise are tense and trying to unwind. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/7 "2018-09-07T15:26:49Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > I had an Australian Shepherd. He spun counter-clockwise. Came for the Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere joke, wasn’t disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/8 "2018-09-07T15:26:55Z")
My doggies do a thing where when they see a squirrel they run to the door and the girl spins in a tight circle and the boy runs laps around her in the opposite direction. It’s the cutest damn thing (well, once…the seventh time in an hour, it gets tiring…) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/9 "2018-09-07T15:35:30Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Came for the Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere joke, wasn’t disappointed. Ditto that. And something about curiolis forces maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/10 "2018-09-07T16:37:57Z")
My Pom will reverse. Spin one way and then spin the other. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/11 "2018-09-07T17:17:36Z")
Huh, never gave this much thought, but just tested out my dog & she spins clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/12 "2018-09-07T17:20:29Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > My daughter’s pug spins both ways. OK, not at the same time… I have [obscure physics joke][a squid that can spin both ways at once](http://science.sciencemag.org/content/287/5462/2395.1).[/obscure physics joke] ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/13 "2018-09-07T17:26:33Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > My daughter’s pug spins both ways. OK, not at the same time… Have you tried looking from below? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/14 "2018-09-07T17:30:08Z")
Dixie goes both ways. Well rounded dog. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/15 "2018-09-07T23:57:04Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > My Pom will reverse. Spin one way and then spin the other. That’s good not to get your clothes tangled. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/16 "2018-09-08T00:27:05Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Came for the Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere joke, wasn’t disappointed. Our Australian Cattle Dog mix actually does spin counter clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/17 "2018-09-08T01:04:09Z")
Yorkie spins both ways. I wanted to teach her to flip when excited, no go. Kinda dumb! Beagle is too fat to move fast at anything other than a cookie. She sorta likes catfood too, it’s sad watching her beg for it while the cats eat, up high on their counter. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/18 "2018-09-08T23:03:46Z")
Our Pit/Shar-pei mix will spin one way for 5 or 6 revolutions, then stop and spin the other way. He might repeat the process a couple more times before he’s done. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2018, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/19 "2018-09-09T02:52:34Z")
I must retract my earlier assertion that my dogs don’t spin. My little dog did spin, when I was about to give him his bribe to let me out of the gate. Clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936/20 "2018-09-09T03:11:59Z")
I decided to do a spin experiment with my young and spinnable doggo, a red heeler mix who is extremely energetic. I pretended I was going to go steal her very favorite toy, which is a huge-ish tire toy on a rope, about two feet long and weighs a ton. It originally belonged to the big dog, a lab-husky mix about twice her size who thinks the toy is too big and heavy to mess with. Anyway, I got her all excitable and told her to go get her toy and she fetched it by the porch–I was standing above her, which is prudent because she flails that thing around like it was made of feathers and at about knee level. It has proven lethal in the past so high levels of caution are warranted. She likes to spin around while whapping the toy on the rope and I can conclusively state that she was absolutely about as happy as a dog gets and she was quite indiscriminate in her directions of spin. Couple times she actually employed the Z axis, which was a little disconcerting. So there you have it, some very happy dogs will spin in any and every direction more or less at random. You’re welcome. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dogs-do-they-always-spin-clockwise/820936.md?page=2)