Understand Your Dog: 9 WEIRD DOG BEHAVIORS EXPLAINED
9. WHY DO DOGS KICK THEIR FEET AFTER POOPING?
It is very difficult not to notice this particular behaviour. When you are walking your cute dog or letting them loose in your yard, you will notice that, after pooping or peeing, they will kick their feet after finishing their business. Mostly, it has been explained away as their attempt to cover up their poo. However, that is far from being correct.
The real reason your dog kicks back is to release pheromones. Dogs release these pheromones from their paws in the scent glands there to mark their territory similarly to how they mark the latter using their urine. Your dog’s pheromones are a clear message to the other dogs in the area that your dog is the alpha and owner of this area, and that they have no right to trespass. It is why you will notice that your dog smells the excrement they find on their walks or in the park, for that is the manner of communication of dogs.
8. WHY DO DOGS DRAG THEIR BUTT ON THE FLOOR?
Dogs scoot their butts all over, and it is unavoidable. They could scoot on the floor, on the wood, on the dirt, or on your rug. Unfortunately, none of the latter are covered in dog insurance so you would be on your own replacing them. While certainly amusing, the reason behind the scooting dogs perform is due to some irritation your dog is suffering from in their butts. It could be an infection, worms or some kind of inflammation.
Irritations such as these are mostly the result of issues in the anal glands and sacks. The anal glands are located in the circumference of the anus, and they contain an acrid-smelling liquid that causes irritation and no small amount of pain to your dog should it become infected. The itchiness and the irritation will inevitably lead to your dog scooting to try and soothe the itching. While a healthy anal gland is certainly foul-smelling, the infected counterpart is even worse, with a very pungent, acrid smell to it. Issues related to the anal gland are to be addressed immediately, requiring medical attention as soon as possible in order to help your dog get better and stay healthy in the long run, and pray to God giardia in dogs is taken care of before your dog starts scooting.
Along with scooting, you may also notice your pup try to lick the area of irritation to relieve the discomfort. So, if your pup is dragging their butt across the floor frequently, take them to the vet to have a once over.
