Why Do Dogs Kick After Pooping? - PetMD

Have you ever seen your dog kick their hind legs after they have done their business? It looks pretty funny when a dog does this, like they are wiping their hind paws.

Not all dogs exhibit this behavior, and it can range in intensity. Some dogs may just kick each paw once and walk away, whereas other dogs kick and alternate legs multiple times.

Some dog parents are embarrassed by the vigor of the kicking—their dogs might even kick up clods of dirt and clumps of grass. If your dog does this, you may have even been yelled at by homeowners for allowing your dog to tear up their manicured lawns.

So, why do dogs kick grass and dirt after they poop? And are you supposed to do anything about it?

Is It Normal For Dogs to Kick After They Poop?

Kicking the hind legs after elimination is known as ground-scratching, and it is a normal dog behavior. This behavior has been seen in dogs and wild canids, such as wolves and coyotes. Many animal scientists think it’s a form of communication among dogs.

Ground-scratching has been referred to as a composite signal that involves chemical and visual components of communication. The kicking motion is a visual display for other dogs and may help spread the scent of urine. Since urine odors are short-lasting, the slashes on the ground serve as longer-lasting marks to indicate the dog’s presence in the area.

Scent Dispersal

Some scientists believe this behavior helps with scent dispersal—not necessarily scratching just to spread the urine around, but to also leave odors from a dog’s paws. Scents can be released from a dog’s interdigital pads, or paw pads.

Visual Display

Other scientists think dogs are conveying visual messages to other dogs. As part of their ground-scratching, dogs typically score the ground with slashes. When no other dogs are present, the slashes tell their own story to any dog that sees them.

When other dogs are around, the ground-scratching is a visual display for other dogs. One study by Bekoff (1979) of free-ranging dogs found that ground-scratching is more likely to occur when other dogs were physically present. The ground-scratching usually occurred after a dog had done a raised-leg display, with or without urination. Ground-scratching can also occur after defecation.

Scientists have observed that male dogs that exhibited ground-scratching were frequently avoided by other dogs, both during the act and immediately afterward. But the presence of urine or slashes on the ground did not deter other dogs from approaching.