If there's anyone who knows a lot about animals going off-script, it's got to be Philip Tedeschi. As a professor and researcher on the human-animal bond, he's a leader in his field and the human-animal connection expert advisor for pet-sitting platform Rover. We were thrilled when he agreed to chat with Bored Panda and share some insights into the weird and wonderful happenings in the animal kingdom.

Tedeschi almost didn't follow this career path. He initially studied veterinary medicine and planned to specialize in large animal care. But it was his side hustle teaching horseback riding to other college students while working as a student vet technician that changed his trajectory.

"During this time, I was asked to teach a group of recently de-institutionalized persons with schizophrenia how to ride horses. That experience changed my career path because watching these individuals interacting with horses was incredible – almost magical," he tells Bored Panda.

"You would see right in front of your eyes, changes that, although now we have greater understanding of at the time, could not easily be explained, such as persons beginning to talk who were non-verbal, increased physical and cognitive normalization and self-regulation. This experience resulted in my interest in the health-promoting benefits of interacting with animals and the ethical considerations for how we treat other animals."

Tedeschi soon decided to change his academic direction and instead of studying animal medicine, was given permission to formulate his own degree program where he studied human-animal relationships.

"At the time, it was not a degree program but now several universities have programs focused on human-animal interaction (HAI) and the human-animal bond (HAB). My thesis was entitled Bio-Affiliation - The Human-Animal Connection," he says.

It goes without saying that the expert has since encountered all sorts of good and bad animal behavior. We asked him to share some of the quirky moments he's witnessed during his career.

"I’ve seen animals do many amazing and funny things. There is no question that animals have a sense of joy, humor, and a penchant for games and play. If you are observant, you can see many animals, including our cats and dogs, smile and laugh," he told us.

"I’ve seen many humorous events with animals, and watching people and animals interact with one another, for me, is still one of the most enjoyable activities. Many of the humorous moments surround a cat or a dog getting the zoomies or finding unique ways to play. I especially recall having an amazing cat that liked to ambush unsuspecting people around the house and apparently loved their startled reaction and scrams…. the joy it brought Dexter never failed to get a laugh."

As we know, puppies are generally in full-time play mode and love to play tug-of-war and hide-and-seek, says Tedeschi, and he's had buckets of fun observing his own dog go off the rails.

"Watching my dog attack a cardboard box and run from one end of the yard with a giant cardboard box on their head, even though it resulted in them not being able to see where they were going and running into everything and everyone, was too funny," he says.

"Possibly one of the funniest experiences I had, however, was from the human side of the story. I was attending a prestigious and rather fancy event at the university when one of the featured guests and a very high-ranking administrator came over and whispered in my ear... 'Why does my dog chew up my underwear when I go on business trips?' It was a funny TMI situation."

The expert says we can learn a lot about people by observing their relationships with their companion animals. "One of the other stories that had me laughing was a friend who had a small hobby farm and had a pet pony that unexplainably became overweight and of concern to the vet," he shares.

"Although he denied overfeeding his pony, in a moment of guilt, my friend admitted that his pony would come stick his head through his office window almost every day and he could not resist sharing candy bars because his pony loved them so much." 

Tedeschi tells us that animals are able to mimic human behaviors. "Our companion dogs might be the most likely to mimic our behavior because we have been co-evolving with them as a species for thousands of years – they are very careful observers of human behavior, especially those they live with," he says.

"Other highly intelligent animals such as elephants, cetaceans and primates have also been found to be capable and curious about communicating with humans. This can happen in part because all animals are highly sentient beings and have the capacity for social and emotional learning and hold the capacity for deep emotional lives and complex thoughts much like humans do."

The expert says animals can experience a wide range of emotional experiences including joy, fear and anxiety, jealousy and curiosity, and grief and sadness.

"You often hear warnings or at least hesitations expressed when people treat animals like humans… maybe dressing them up on Halloween or treating them like children by putting them in a baby carriage – this is sometimes called anthropocentrism," Tedeschi told Bored Panda.

"But for humans, the way we best understand other non-human animals is by observing their behavior. When we carefully observe animal behavior we realize that many of the behaviors that they engage in appear familiar or make sense to us based on our own human emotions and experiences."

He explains that humans have co-evolved with dogs and cats for thousands of years and have learned to understand each other’s nuanced actions, expressions and behaviors with a high degree of accuracy.

"For example, in studies looking at humans’ ability to accurately discern the purpose of a dog’s vocalization, people have been found to be relatively discerning evaluators of differing types of dog vocalization. If observant, we can often recognize changes in emotions, including sadness and grief in animals when they are separated from or lose a friend, or conversely see joy when taken off leash or when welcoming home a member of the family pack."

While we had Tedeschi's full attention, we decided to ask the million-dollar question: Why do dogs chase their tails?

"It may look like fun and games but that's not always the case," he replies. "It’s important to remember that all animals have both species-specific behaviors that may be common in that particular species but are also individuals."

The expert says there can be several explanations for why Fido is running around in circles trying to catch his own tail as if it were a cat. "Based on the best studies of this behavior, the explanation falls into a few categories… Puppies are intrigued by their and other animals’ tails and many other aspects of the world around them. After all, something that is following them around or appears to move of its own accord is a genuine curiosity."

Other dogs will chase their tails if bored, agitated or excited and looking for attention or play, he adds. "But some dogs might be chasing or wanting to chew on their tail because it's uncomfortable, painful or injured. If this behavior is chronic, or there is a sign of injury, it is worth having it checked by a vet."

You might be surprised to know that the term "happy tail" is anything but happy. Rather, "[It's] a painful or uncomfortable condition that occurs when a dog injures the tip or the base of its tail by frequently hitting it against objects. This can result in a dog attempting to bite or lick its tail repeatedly," reveals Tedeschi, adding that certain diseases or parasites can also result in a dog chasing its tail.

So when should humans be worried about weird animal behavior? "Your own sense that something is wrong is the single most important indicator that your pet is stressed," says Tedeschi.

"One of the most challenging circumstances in making an accurate assessment about a pet’s well-being or stress indicators is when we do not know them very well and are unfamiliar with their normal behaviors, communication, calming signals and mannerisms. But often with our own pets, we know them well and quickly recognize changes in demeanor, social interactions, vocalizations, energy level and other behavioral indicators such as lack of interest in food or play."

The expert adds that when we are trying to prioritize hierarchically the most important signs of stress in our pets, a significant change in their normal functioning or behavior is a good place to start. He says it's important that people get to know their pets well and are able to pick up any changes if or when they arise.

"Unless there is a chronic level of distress, evidence of pain or significant departure from normative behavior, there is probably not an urgent or dangerous issue," he told Bored Panda.

"But as in all our relationships, ignoring and discounting needs or intentional communication can be frustrating and lead to various types of escalation, insistence and acting out."

Tedeschi says our pets communicate with us, and sometimes we don't even realize it. "For example, if I am glued to my computer screen and my dog is telling me they really need a break outside, my ignoring that behavior can result in my dog intensifying the behavior to force me to recognize the importance of their needs," he explains. "As dogs learn to trust your commitment to them and their own ability to effectively communicate, these interactions help us become supportive of each other’s needs."