# Purpose of this dogs response to sleeping? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 20, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-this-dogs-response-to-sleeping/688831 "2014-05-20T14:31:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-this-dogs-response-to-sleeping/688831/1 "2014-05-20T14:31:44Z")
My girlfriend and I have a 6 year old chihuahua. When either one of us returns home he goes absolutely berserk in his welcome home ritual wanting lick our faces, barking etc. If one of us happens to be sleeping he has the same wild welcome but he will do it silently without barking. We always were slightly amazed at how he was able to restrain himself from barking even though he was in a virtual state of hysteria. We attributed this to intelligence even though it really didn’t make sense, he has done this since he was 7 weeks old with no training. ``` The other day it occured to me that a silent response would give him a better chance of getting the food first if his littermates were sleeping. His entire welcome home ritual is very much like a wolf cub who licks his mother face to cause her to regurgitate her food and this added silent element just seems to be an extension of the same instinct. Does this make sense? Somehow through selective greeding he has become an eternal puppy. ``` ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-this-dogs-response-to-sleeping/688831/2 "2014-05-20T14:42:31Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Somehow through **selective greeding** he has become an eternal puppy. Whether intentional or not, this was perfect. ::slow clap:: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-this-dogs-response-to-sleeping/688831/3 "2014-05-20T14:46:41Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > Whether intentional or not, this was perfect. ::slow clap:: 😃 LOL, I need to start wearing my glasses! I just coined a new word for a greedy greeting. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-this-dogs-response-to-sleeping/688831/4 "2014-05-21T12:23:47Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > ``` > The other day it occured to me that a silent response would give him a better chance of getting the food first if his littermates were sleeping. His entire welcome home ritual is very much like a wolf cub who licks his mother face to cause her to regurgitate her food and this added silent element just seems to be an extension of the same instinct. Does this make sense? > > ``` Sure, if he tried it long ago and it worked; dogs tend to repeat behavior patterns that have worked in the past. “Operant learning” it’s called IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-this-dogs-response-to-sleeping/688831/5 "2014-05-21T12:44:57Z")
World’s worst guard dog. “Hey man, they’re sleeping. You have to be, like, really quiet.”