Why do dogs kick their legs a few times after pooping?

Jun 29,2024
2Min

After the dog poops, it kicks its legs a few times to leave a mark. The sweat glands of dogs are on the soles of their feet, so after excreting, they will kick with their hind legs a few times to convey information to the surrounding dogs, strengthen their own smell, and also to cover up other smells here. This behavior of the dog will put the soil on the ground into the cracks of the paws, so the owner should stop the dog appropriately when seeing this behavior.

Dogs like to use their excretion to leave their own scent, so as to occupy their territory, so dogs will not bury their own excrement like cats after excretion.

Is it normal for a dog to kick its legs after pooping?

Kicking your hind legs after a dog poops is called scratching, and it is a normal dog behavior. This behavior has been seen in dogs and wild canids such as wolves and coyotes. Many zoologists believe this is a form of communication between dogs.

Ground scratches are called compound signals, which involve chemical and visual components of communication with other dogs. This kicking motion is a visual display to other dogs and may help spread the smell of urine. Because the smell of urine is short-lived, scratches on the ground can serve as more permanent markers to indicate a dog's presence in the area.

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