Sleeping Stray
It’s an instinctive possibly learned behavior that has been passed on for generations. Dogs in the wild or outside dogs circle to tamp down bedding material (vegetation, soft earth etc.) in an attempt to soften, debug and find a comfortable spot to settle down. At times they paw the bedding to fluff a flat surface into a contoured more comfortable surface. They often end-up in a tight ball to conserve body heat and may sleep up or down wind depending on warm or cold temperatures.
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