Every time dogs “do their business,” they often exhibit a behavior of scratching the ground behind them. What does this action mean? Is it to mask their scent, or does it serve another purpose?
Dog owners likely recognize this: whenever you take your furry friend to relieve themselves, you’ll notice that they frequently use their hind legs to scratch the grass or dirt behind them – more specifically, towards the pile of “evidence” they just created.
Dogs often use their hind legs to scratch the grass or dirt behind them.
What is the purpose of this behavior? Many believe this action is similar to that of cats: a survival instinct that drives them to cover their tracks to avoid detection by more dangerous creatures in the wild.
However, the truth is not entirely so. Experts studying canine behavior argue that this instinct is much more significant than that.
A Form of Establishing Territory
Perhaps not many people know that within the pads of a dog’s feet, there are scent glands that allow them to release a highly distinctive pheromone. This scratching behavior is, in fact, a way to release pheromones, asserting their claim over the area where they just “did their business.” They want to let all other dogs know that this territory now belongs to them.
This is a common behavior among dogs to establish social hierarchy within a territory.
This is a common behavior among dogs, aimed at establishing social hierarchy within a territory. Similar to the act of marking with urine, releasing pheromones through their paw pads is also a way to communicate ownership to other dogs.
All dog breeds exhibit this behavior – from tiny Chihuahuas to robust Belgian Malinois. However, they do not always perform this action. If they encounter a stronger scent, they will abandon their typical scratching behavior and move on to another spot.
Moreover, scratching the ground also serves to spread their scent further. Therefore, both male and female dogs display this behavior.
According to veterinarians, this behavior is entirely normal. In fact, if your dog suddenly stops doing this, you might want to take them to the vet, as there’s a possibility they may have an issue with their paws.
