Scratching After Eliminating

[greyhead]

My 9-yr-old Spencer likes to scratch the ground -- I mean with GUSTO -- after he does his business. At least he does this on walks and most of the time it's in someone's yard. In this wet climate that can do some damage to grass and soil.

 

I've probably confused the issue by allowing it in public areas, as opposed to private property. But he eliminates on private property 95% of the time. I've tried "no", "no scratch," "hey," pulling on his leash, etc. Still he will not stop this behavior. In fact, it has gotten more frequent over time.

 

It feels like asking him to stop this feels to him like asking him not to scratch an itch! He seems to regard it as his natural prerogative.

 

What do you think? Should I keep at it and try to reward him the 1% of the time he doesn't do it for whatever reason?! I should add that he's an entirely cooperative and responsive dog about *everything* else, and we've had him 4-1/4 years.

[macoduck]

I think it's a form of scent marking from glands in the feet?

 

Rather than pull on the leash, can you immediately turn him around? You could do another U turn to continue on your walk.

Edited January 8, 2010 by macoduck

[dante2zoe]

I so hear you and hope you get some good suggestions! Goose also digs after doing his thing. He throws up divets he scratches so hard. I walk him with a harness and would actually pull up slightly and tell him no dig right after he finished. It has only helped some, but at least now if I fuss at him, he will stop.

[Guest nuri]

nuri does this, too. sometime me making a funny noise as he's doing it distracts him enough to stop it. one day we were walking around my somewhat rough neighborhood and he kicked the biggest clump of mud on the door of a parked car. it just stuck there. i didn't know what to do, because the neighbors would probably have thought that i was trying to break into the car, rather than be a good neighbor. pathetically, we hightailed it out of there and i have vowed never to let him kick when it is muddy again!!!

[Guest mcsheltie]

It's a guy thing

[TheFullHouse]

It's a guy thing

 

Well that explains Jilly Bean, she's suffering from an identity crisis, she squats and lifts one leg and scratches when she's finished.

[BootsyCollins]

Bootsy does it. I've never worried about it. I've had a lot of dogs that do it.

[KF_in_Georgia]

My girl does it, my boy doesn't. Jacey doesn't do it every time, but she's really determined when she does.

[greysmom]

Not just a boy thing since Toni is the one that does it at our house! I heard that it's an instinctual reaction to try and cover up their poop so other predators can't smell it????????? I have no idea if that's true or not, but Toni runs away from her fresh poo and THEN does it. With gusto! Divots flying all over the place and the good Lord help you if you happen to be standing behind her!

[Trihounds]

I have to share this:

 

Brucie does it and ONE time, he managed to catch a piece of his 'deposit' on one of his great kicks. An NFL kicker could learn a few things from this dog. The deposit proceeded to go flying right ONTO my shoe, from a full leash length away!!

 

But anyway, digression over, I think it is natural and only stopping it is to start walking again, IMO.

 

Thanksfully, Bumper is not a kicker!!

[Guest TBSFlame]

It's a guy thing

 

 

My guys don't do it only Memmie. She does think she is the boss. As far as grass, I gave up on that a long time ago.

Edited January 8, 2010 by TBSFlame

[Guest mcsheltie]

It's a guy thing

Okay, should I amend that to... It's a macho thing? Is there a feminine word for macho?

[Saharasmom]

Coltrane always does it, too. I don't let him pee or poop in anyone else's yard, so it never damages anything. Sometimes he does it after peeing in the street, which is kind of funny.

[greyhead]

Hmm, okay a clue is coming through. Spencer has always been the alpha, but his status is slipping with his health problems and aging. Shane, the younger, is being more assertive about being first, choosing the direction to walk, trying for the inside spot that Spencer used to *own*! So maybe Spencer is doing this scratching more, and more determinedly, now because he's compensating. He doesn't have to compete for it, but it still has a "top dog" display to it.

 

Yards are mostly what's available to pee and poop in around here. People love us because we always pick up our stuff and because the hounds are so gentle and sociable. Peeing in the rainy season is not very harmful to lawns because it rains *a lot* here, enough to dilute it. Summer, we're more sensitive to what they might hurt and we go elsewhere -- like to a post.

 

So the only thing for it sounds like quickly walking him away as soon as he stops, and then u-turning to pick up any remains. Which means I don't get to space out or look away discreetly. Thanks for the reassurance that we're not alone in this problem and he's just pretty much being his version of a natural dog. It's just amazing how much he gets into it, though, and how he then seems not to understand any version of "no," including *NO!* Kinda like a high-prey-drive hound spotting a squirrel and seemingly going deaf, dumb and blind to anything else!

[macoduck]

It's a guy thing

Okay, should I amend that to... It's a macho thing? Is there a feminine word for macho?

How about "beecho"?

Edited January 8, 2010 by macoduck

[Guest kydie]

This a natural response to the covering of their "business" all sexes can do this, all breeds do this, nothing to do with alpha or omega, My alpha female does this, as do all the other 3 males, no matter what we want to think about dogs, verses wolves, this is a wild response to covering their scent, just as the bury their treats for later, and wolves bury a kill for later

[Batmom]

I think your best option is to "Good boy!" and trot quickly away from the spot, then U-turn as you described. Could even try "Good boy!" + treat to see if that would distract him enough to let you get him off the grass. Sometimes a dog just has to be a dog.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

What about not letting him on the private property to begin with? In my neighborhood, you have the sidewalk, and on the house side is the property, on the street side is public right of way. So therefor I dont allow my hounds to pee/poop on the house side of the sidewalk. I would bet in your area if you are walking on a sidewalk, it is the same way as most every place in the US has the sidewalk on the right of way, not private property. BTW I am a surveyor, that is how I know this info.

 

Chad

[greyhead]

Only one street in our neighborhood has that public ROW configuration, and that's what we use on that street. But it's not long enough for a complete walk for the hounds. Many streets have no sidewalks at all. And the first 3-4 feet of most houses here is technically municipal property because of utility right-of-way (light poles, etc.) although that area is an extension of front yards. So I call that "private property" because it is an extension of a person's yard, but technically it isn't.

 

Point being, though, that unless they do their business on the sidewalk or out in street, mostly "yards" is what we have to work with. We do have a number of routes to choose from, though, so we only take a given route about once a week. That's why I don't worry much about pee damage in the winter. But I draw the line at clawing up the grass! So we'll keep working on it behaviorally.

 

Mary

 

What about not letting him on the private property to begin with? In my neighborhood, you have the sidewalk, and on the house side is the property, on the street side is public right of way. So therefor I dont allow my hounds to pee/poop on the house side of the sidewalk. I would bet in your area if you are walking on a sidewalk, it is the same way as most every place in the US has the sidewalk on the right of way, not private property. BTW I am a surveyor, that is how I know this info.

 

Chad

[Guest JenZ]

I've tried to stop Cliff's post-poop kicking for years! No luck whatsoever, so I gave up. Now that he's almost 12, I'm worried about him dislocating a hip, he kicks SO hard, lol.

 

My new boy Jack wasn't a kicker until he picked it up from Cliff. They are both very competitive with each other.

 

 

Jen

[DevilDog]

Roscoe does this with gusto also. Sometimes he gets really into it and barks and growls at the same time. We live in an apartment complex so Im very selective about where i allow him to do it.. i gave up a long time ago with trying to stop it completely. He seems to enjoy it!

 

What I do is watch him closely while he's doing his business. I've come to learn the exact moment to tug the leash and go "UHH!" After several months he seems to understand for the most part. He doesnt do it as much in the no-no areas and he knows the places I allow it. He's still a booger and tries, but i've found that being right on top of him as he's done his business has helped immensely.

[Guest IrskasMom]

As far as I know ,it supposed to spread the Scent ( and not the poop and Grass ) . With the Ground frozen hard , my Boy scratches and I am afraid his Pads are sore .

[3greys2cats]

nuri does this, too. sometime me making a funny noise as he's doing it distracts him enough to stop it. one day we were walking around my somewhat rough neighborhood and he kicked the biggest clump of mud on the door of a parked car. it just stuck there. i didn't know what to do, because the neighbors would probably have thought that i was trying to break into the car, rather than be a good neighbor. pathetically, we hightailed it out of there and i have vowed never to let him kick when it is muddy again!!!

 

, I can picture this in my mind, neighbor coming out later to see mud stuck to the door, glad nothing bad came of it. I can identify and unfortunately, when Max does this, Sara walks so close to him that she ends up w/grass, mud, and now, snow in her face, she has not learned yet to stay out of his way when he flinging stuff

Edited January 8, 2010 by 3greys2cats

[Guest sheila]

What about not letting him on the private property to begin with? In my neighborhood, you have the sidewalk, and on the house side is the property, on the street side is public right of way. So therefor I dont allow my hounds to pee/poop on the house side of the sidewalk. I would bet in your area if you are walking on a sidewalk, it is the same way as most every place in the US has the sidewalk on the right of way, not private property. BTW I am a surveyor, that is how I know this info.

 

Chad

 

regardless of the above mentioned rules, around here the property owner is still responsible for maintaining the grass that is between the sidewalk and the curb. Therefore I don't allow my dogs to pee on them. If the dogs really have to go I try and steer them into an alley or some other quiet place.