6 Reasons Why Dogs Kick Their Back Legs After They Poop

Quick Answer

Dogs kick their back legs after they poop as a way to mark their territory and disperse their scent.
When a dog kicks their back legs and scratches at the ground, they leave a visual marker that other dogs can see.
Dogs also scratch the ground in excitement or as a social display.

If, like me, you’ve been showered in mud or sand (or even icy snow) as you get caught in the crossfire of a vigorous kicking motion, you might have wondered why your dog kicks their back legs after he goes to the bathroom.

Dogs kick their back legs after they poop to spread their scent and mark their territory as a way to communicate with other dogs.

Sometimes ground scratching is more of a way to express excitement or as a response to the scratch reflex.

#1. Scent dispersal

One of the most common reasons dogs kick out with their back legs after going to the bathroom is that they’re trying to spread their scent.

There are scent glands in a dog’s paws that release pheromones. Pheromones are chemicals “capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavior of the receiving individuals” (Wikipedia, 2022).

These pheromones can communicate a variety of messages, including excitement, fear, or aggression.

When a dog kicks their back legs after they poop, they’re effectively saying to other dogs, “I was here!” At the same time, it’s the dog’s way of communicating information about themselves, such as age, gender, and health status, to other dogs in the area.

So your pup isn’t trying to shower you with debris just for the fun of it or dig up the front yard – she’s letting other dogs know she’s been in the area and using it as a form of communication.

And a dog’s sense of smell being what it is, you can be sure other dogs passing by will pay close attention to your dog’s scent.

Video: Lennox Ground Scratching

Lennox scratching the ground with his back legs after a bathroom break © The Cat and Dog House

#2. Marking territory

So why do dogs have scent glands in their paws in the first place?

Also known as ground pawing or ground scraping, the behavior is instinctual to dogs and has also been observed in wild canids such as wolves and coyotes.

It’s thought that a dog’s scent glands evolved from wolves, who used them as a way of leaving visual markers in their territory.

When wolves pooped, they would scrape the ground with their back legs to cover it up and leave a visual marker for other wolves in the area.

Dogs still have these glands today, but they’ve adapted over time to be more effective at dispersing scent. In other words, dogs use their back legs to spread their scent for the same reason that wolves used to use their front legs – to mark their territory.

The scent marking behavior is seen in both male and female dogs.

For dogs who show signs of anxiety, territorial claims like these may also help the dog feel more secure by surrounding herself with her own scent, especially in the presence of other dogs.

Daisy (*right*) kicks out at the long grass with her back legs to ensure she marks the area with her scent © The Cat and Dog House

#3. Visual Display

When a dog kicks their back legs, they leave a visual marker that other dogs can see. These scratches in the ground provide a clear sign that can serve as a way of claiming territory or signaling to other dogs that they’re in the area.

It may also be a way of intimidating other dogs from investigating any more closely, in effect telling them to stay away.

Animal behavior expert Dr. Marc Bekoff explains it like this:

“Ground scratching could be yet another form of social communication, and taken together, peeing, pooping, and ground scratching are a good example of how dogs may use what ethologists call composite signals to enhance their messages to other dogs, by using both olfactory and visual components.”

Dogs have a powerful sense of smell and will be able to sniff out the presence of other dogs who have been in the area and left their scent behind © The Cat and Dog House

#4. Social Display

When two dogs meet for the first time, they will often engage in a variety of behaviors that help them assess each other.

This behavior is thought to be a way of saying, “I come in peace!” to the other dog.

It’s a way of signaling that they’re not a threat and that they’re just trying to engage in some friendly social interaction.

#5. Excitement

Dogs have a sophisticated communication network that allows them to interact with other canines, and they use various behaviors to mark their territory and communicate their excitement.

I have observed several of our dogs kicking out with their back legs and ground scraping with enormous exuberance and excitement, so it would appear too that the behavior is inherently reinforcing and dogs simply just enjoy engaging in it.

#6. Scratch Reflex

This is a bit different (and not poop related) but another reason why dogs may kick their back legs is because they have a natural reflex known as the scratch reflex.

Loren Gusch explains it like this:

“Underneath certain portions of your dog’s skin, there are collections of neural pathways that are connected to the spinal cord. When these nerves are activated – either by a scratch or a tickle – they quickly send messages to the spinal cord, which then instructs the dog’s leg to kick.”

Plenty of dog owners have seen these involuntary movements in their canine companion when they scratch a sensitive area on the dog’s belly or chest and hit upon that cluster of nerves.

Our Roman, who is susceptible to seasonal allergies and whose paws are often quite itchy during the summer months, and our recent addition Lennox are both advanced proponents of the scratch reflex.

If you just get the sweet spot on their chest or give them belly rubs, the engine leg goes into overdrive.

Video: Lennox Scratch Reflex

Do all dogs kick their back legs after they poop?

Not all dogs exhibit this ground-scratching behavior. I’ve seen some of our dogs simply walk off after taking their bathroom break, while others have made a token effort with a languid scratch or two before wandering off.

Others have gone all out and kicked up half the garden in their efforts. And yes, that dog kick is powerful and it gets in everywhere!

On the plus side, the kicking behavior can help keep your dog’s back nails nice and trim and it also gives them a good stretch of their lower back and back legs.

Should I try to stop my dog from ground scratching?

Ground scratching with the hind legs after pooping is a completely normal behavior so there’s no cause for concern.

But if your furry friend is ultra vigorous in his scratching, you may just want to check your dog’s feet every now and again to ensure there’s no damage to his toes and claws – especially if he’s scratching on a hard surface such as tarmac or the sidewalk.

Final thoughts

As with all dog behaviors and body language, there is a reason for a dog’s kicking behavior after pooping.

The primary reason is to provide an olfactory and visual signal to other dogs and animals in the area.

This allows them to signal their presence to other animals and communicate that the territory is taken.

So the next time you see your pup doing this, you’ll know why!

Resources

Ground Scratching by Dogs: Scent, Sight, and Ecstasy – Marc Bekoff
Why Does My Dog Kick When I Scratch His Belly? – Loren Gusch
Pheromone – Wikipedia