With all the different breeds of dogs out there, it’s no surprise you’ve never heard of this one. At first glance, he may look like your average mutt. With long wiry hair and a passion for digging, you may mistake him for a terrier mix. But you would be wrong.
Behavior is the main thing that sets this breed apart. As the name suggests, he prefers to sleep in a nest.
The Nesting Dog builds his nests from whatever materials are at hand. Often his nests are a crude hole in the ground. These are his fast and easy nests. He will simply paw at the ground several times to make a shallow bowl, curl up and lay down. While this behavior may not sound odd to you, it is just the beginning. Each time he lays down, he will dig more. Pretty soon, he has a rather deep pothole.
Unlike birds, who have only one nest, the Nesting Dog prefers to create a new nest anywhere he feels compelled to lay down – sometimes mere feet from his last nest.
On especially hot days, he will seek shade for his nest. One of his favorite forms of shade is underneath a vehicle. This is where his digging becomes a necessity – he will drag himself on his belly underneath a vehicle he barely fits under, and carefully dig out a nest he can lay in without being cramped.
When there are no vehicles to be found, he will seek alternate locations. This may be something like a woodpile, shed, or even a bush.
In the winter, very cold days may force him to nest indoors. But when he can, he will find outdoor nesting locations that provide some protection from the elements. This may be in the form of a calf hutch, wood pile, or under the eaves of the house.
On milder days, and sometimes nights as well, he will sit in a nest of snow for hours, happy as can be. But if a snow free surface is presented, he’s happy to claim that as well.
While most of his nests are built at ground level, this is simply a mater of practicality. If a higher location presents itself, he will always use it.
When forced to nest indoors, he again prefers multiple nests. He will claim a human bed, dog bed, couch, even a towel as his nest.
Besides his nesting habits, the North American Nesting dog has some other peculiar traits. Most notable of these is his impressions. I have caught him doing impressions of a lion, an eagle, and a hedgehog, to name a few.
Like many other dogs, he loves to ride on anything that moves. He will wait patiently in a car for hours, hoping it will take him for a ride eventually. And when it does, his head must be hanging out the window.
He can be a bit of a bully. He will chase anything that will run from him, just because he can. But if his prey stops running and stands its ground, he will quickly retreat. Once he even bullied another dog into pulling him around on a cart.
