Go Dog Training

Why do dogs kick and scratch after pooping?

I don't know.  Nor do I think that anyone has done any study on this with dogs.  My guess: scent travels better when attached to particulate in the air, so kicking up some dust helps spread the scent.

The good news is that even if you don't know why your dog is doing this, you can make a difference in when, where and how much your dog kicks.  Warning:  The post-poop dirt scratch is part of a pattern (like circling is part of the pre-poop pattern) so your timing needs to be really good and you will need patience as you work with your dog.  If you have a puppy, a habit of not kicking will be easier to install than if you have adopted an older dog who has had this habit for a while.

STEP ONE:  Observe.

Your dog, like everyone's, is likely repeating the same patterns each time they go.  I had a very keen client the other day explain to me that her dog does some circling and sniffing before a pee, but a lot of frantic searching and circling before a poop.  Learn your dog's pattern--not just the obvious parts either. Really watch how your dog moves.  Do they take three steps then kick?  Or is it one step?

STEP TWO:  Plan.

Part-A Know exactly what you are going to do.  Take what you learned about your dog's pattern of behavior and form a plan to interrupt it.  Have an exact plan of action and a back-up plan.  I was working with a very feisty kicker the other afternoon.  Her owner and I used a squeaker toy right after she pooped to get her attention.  She ran right to the squeaker (about 6 steps), sniffed it, and finished her kicking.  If I had planned better I would have also had a treat ready to lure her into a sit or even help her do a spin trick.

Part-B Be reasonable. Interrupting patterns is hard work; don't make it harder for yourself.  I have a medium-sized hound dog who loves to kick after peeing and pooping.  There are a lot of wood chips on the paths where we walk and he prefers to pee and poop over the chips.  Because the paths are paved, all I have to do is interrupt the kick and get him onto the cement.  Once he's on the cement I let him kick away and I've never had to trim his back nails.

STEP THREE Practice & Reward!

Your dog may not learn to do this right away.  You will need to be a willing and enthusiastic coach and you will need to remind them all the time in the beginning.  Be nice.  When you first start this, just focus on the interruption.  If you can interrupt your dog, reward them and reward them well.  Don't be mad at yourself or your dog if they finish kicking after the reward.

HINTS:

Know what your dog wants!  If your dog likes food, use it!  If your dog is mad for squeaky tennis balls, use that!

Interrupt your dog BEFORE they kick--this is where knowing their pattern helps.

Try replacing the kicking with another behavior, like spin, jump, give-five or tug.

Don't give any commands until you see a change in behavior.  

Once you get 95% success, start paying your dog for performance (They do the work...big $. You do the work (heavy encouragement needed to interrupt the kicking)...they get something, but not as much.