Dog's 'Self-Soothing' Obsession With Curtains Makes Her Look Like An Adorable Ghost

You know, it doesn't have to be spooky season for our pets to enjoy a bit of the macabre. Just check out these black cats who think every day is Halloween. And apparently, dogs do it too! Like in this TikTok featuring a kooky canine with a 'self-soothing' obsession with curtains that makes her look like an adorable ghost. It's pretty darn hilarious.

@doglogicdxb

Is your dog a little bit weird? 😂 Luna here absolutely loves the feeling of things touching her head and face, and mum's new curtains are the best thing ever. This behaviour is called "trancing", and is a self-soothing and relaxing behaviour that some dogs really enjoy. It is not problematic at all unless performed obsessively, or if it causes the dog distress in order to come out of the trance. (But always follow the golden rule: sudden behaviour change = vet visit) Does your dog have any weird, yet adorable habits? #dogtrainer #weirddog #trancing #doglogic #sillydogs

♬ Welp, Didn't Expect That – Yu-Peng Chen & HOYO-MiX

Luna is one interesting pup, with an even more fascinating pastime. As shown in this short clip, she has a pretty odd habit of standing under the curtain in her living room. It's such a ritual that her dog bed is right under it for easy access, which is actually pretty sweet.

Luna likes to stare hypnotically from behind the curtain as if she were a ghost, or a "bride-to-be," as one viewer joked. "One of my Frenchies does this all the time under the curtains," said another viewer. Other commenters thankfully revealed the term for Luna's self-soothing habit: trancing.

Trance-like syndrome (TLS), or "trancing," is when a dog slowly walks or stares from beneath foliage or curtains or other hanging objects, and it just might be one of the funniest dog behaviors around. Also called ghost-walking, this peculiar act may be off-putting to dog parents at first. Rest assured it isn't anything to be worried about. Current research shows that dogs do, indeed, remain aware of their surroundings when trancing, so this behavior is not due to seizures.

As of now, it's unclear what exactly causes TLS. While it may be simply an instinctive hunting behavior passed down from the canine ancestors, other theories consider trancing a self-soothing behavior for anxious pups. It's also been compared to symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs (like tail chasing and spinning), though there's no definitive proof that this is the case. 

So, as far as we know, trancing is just a funny thing your dog does. But is it ever something you need to stop your pup from doing? Veterinarian Dr. Michelle Burch shared with Adopt a Pet, "If you do not see any other symptoms associated with trancing episodes, I recommend not panicking and allowing them to finish their ritual." In other words, sometimes our dogs are lovable weirdos, and that's okay!