10 Weird Things Your Dog Does While Pooping, Explained

As a dog parent you’ve no doubt had many, many conversations about poo. How often does your dog go? What consistency is their poo? Why must they roll in it? Why must they eat it? Poo and dogs just go together.

Dogs certainly have some particular habits when it comes to pooing; from facing a certain direction while going to staring directly at you during the act (c’mon buddy), and you’d be forgiven for thinking your pup has a pooping complex. Thankfully, most of these toileting behaviours have some sort of logical explanation. And the others? Well, they might just be down to your dog’s wonderfully unique personality. Let’s dive into the weird things your dog does while pooping.

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1. Facing north

A 2013 study found that dogs are one of a number of animal species that have magnetoreception; the ability to sense the earth’s magnetic field. Researchers found that under “calm magnetic field conditions”, dogs preferred to “excrete with the body being aligned along the north-south axis”. Worth taking a compass on your next walk to see if your dog fits the data? 

2. Staring at you

While we humans might seek privacy during toilet time, our dogs may prefer to look directly at us... right in the eye. Awkward. One theory for this is that they look to us for reassurance when pooping. As their natural survival mode is more heightened than ours, they might be looking to us to ensure there’s no danger present while they‘re in a vulnerable position. Watching you closely allows them to see any changes in our body language which might predict a threat. Remember, eye contact can boost the bonding hormone oxytocin – so while you might not really want to watch your dog poop, ignore their back end and simply enjoy the feel-good vibes a little eye contact presents. 

3. Pooping in the same area (again and again)

Dogs are creatures of habit and gain reassurance through routine. Pooping in the same spot over and over again could just be an example of this. It might be that they’ve also found the prime place that they feel most comfortable and relaxed, a spot where they can hide away their scent, or a spot that gives them the chance to leave their own mark in a much frequented spot, competing with the other neighbourhood dogs. It could also be that you gave them an especially good treat after they pooed in that spot in the past and they’re trying out their luck again.

4. Circling before doing the deed

If your dog circles or spins before passing stool, it could be to create a flattened space: squashing grass down or disturbing an existing scent before they go on top of it. You could liken it, if you really want, to the dog version of fluffing a pillow to make it just right before you rest your head. They could be looking around to survey the area for predators. They might be trying to stimulate their bowel to get things flowing. Or, as we mentioned earlier, it could be to tune into the magnetic field to find the north-south axis. 

5. Kicking after pooing

There’s two schools of thoughts here; see which you think better fits your dog’s personality. The first is that they’re trying to cover their scent over with dirt to hide themselves from any threat. This is more likely with a dog who is anxious or unwell, as they don’t want to appear vulnerable. The second is the polar opposite – that this kicking motion actually spreads their scent even more, elevating their smell over a larger area.

6. Sniffing for ages before choosing a spot

While it might test your patience, sniffing is a really important part of our dog’s walks. It allows them to learn about the world, reduces pulse rate and arousal, and provides some great feel-good hormones. When your dog seems to take forever to choose a spot to poop in, that sniffing is likely helping them to find a safe place to go. They’re checking out those scents to see where they feel most comfortable to relieve themselves. Decision fatigue is real.

7. Having the post-poo zoomies

Dogs sometimes experience sudden outbursts of energy known as ‘zoomies’ or Frenetic Random Activity Periods (FRAPs). They might sprint around erratically as a way to release built-up energy, express excitement, or cope with stress. So why might a zoomie happen after a poop? It could be a celebration of relief after passing stool – they‘re feeling lighter! It might even show your dog was feeling quite vulnerable when they were pooping, so they need to shake it off with a zoom around. The ‘poop and dash’ can also be linked to pain and discomfort, so if you see your dog changing their behaviour after having a poo, it’s worth getting them checked by your vet.

8. Wanting privacy

We’ve already mentioned some dogs like to make eye contact while pooping. Conversely, there are some dogs who’d rather you didn’t watch. This could be just that they’re a little shy and prefer privacy, but is more likely linked to a previous reaction when they pooed in front of someone. Perhaps they got punished for pooping in the wrong place when they were a puppy and were not yet toilet trained. Now they might fear the repercussions of pooping altogether. You can switch out this fear by allowing them the space and time they need, providing a yummy treat after every poop they do.

9. Wanting to be up high

Some dogs like to poop in strangest of places – balancing on a high spot or arching over a tall plant. This might be because they want a better place to survey their surroundings (to ensure they’re not under threat of attack) or it could be that they want to raise their scent higher above a competitive smell. Or, it could just be a kooky personality trait.

10. Scooting after pooing

Scooting – or bum shuffling – has to be one of the more hilarious behaviours our dogs do. But if your dog regularly scoots their back end along the floor after pooing then it could be more sinister than it looks. They might have issues with their anal glands or an infestation of worms, so it’s worth a quick visit to your vet.

Resources

Hart, Vlastimil, et al. “ Dogs Are Sensitive to Small Variations of the Earth’s Magnetic Field.” Frontiers in Zoology, vol. 10, no. 1, Dec. 2013, p. 80.

Nagasawa, M., et al. “ Oxytocin-Gaze Positive Loop and the Coevolution of Human-Dog Bonds.” Science, vol. 348, no. 6232, Apr. 2015, pp. 333–36.

Luna-Cortés, Gonzalo. “ Companion Dog Routine Inventory: Scale Validation and the Effect of Routine on the Human–Dog Relationship.” Anthrozoös, Jan. 2022, pp. 1–18.

Elaine Waldorf Gewirtz Published:, et al. “ Why Do Dogs Spin before They Poop?” American Kennel Club.