Why does my dog kick their feet after pooping?

CLAIRE CORLEY

Why does my dog… Kick their feet after pooping?

The post-poop party can be very amusing to watch, except when it's performed in your favourite bed of roses! Did you know this after-potty shuffle has a very important role to play in canine communication?

While it might look like your canine companion is politely cleaning up after themselves by burying their deposit, in fact, the exact opposite is happening!

Dogs are territorial animals and often mark their areas with faeces and urine. They also have scent glands on the bottom of their feet that secrete pheromones, so dramatically kicking after they've laid a dog log serves the double function of spreading around their fresh offerings and rubbing their scent glands all over the area.

“Fluffy was 'ere!”

It's thought that, in addition to marking their territory, these scent markings also relay information to other dogs including sexual availability, health, food availability and warnings of danger!