Dogs often do things that seem strange to us but are either perfectly normal for them or could potentially show some kinds of physical or behavioral distress. In order to help interpret these behaviors, we asked our Dark Dog Posse Facebook followers to send us questions that perplex them about their dog(s), then we posed those questions to subject matter experts who may be able to shine a light on what’s going on.
Sydney Warner, BS Psychology, ABCDT, Dip.CBST, IAABC-ADT, Elite FFCP, is a Certified Dog Trainer, Canine Behavior Consultant, and Owner of Clever Critters, LLC, fielded the behavior-issue questions. Brendan Simmons and Vanessa Gori, who are both Veterinary Technicians and Owners of Honey B’s Pet Sitting and Pet Care Services, LLC, handled the medical-issue questions.
Here’s what they had to tell us.
Why does my dog eat grass?
Clever Critters: It tastes good, to better “smell” scents on it, health-related concerns, PICA (compulsive eating of non-food items), compulsion behavior, displacement behavior.
Honey B’s: Many dogs eat grass because they simply like the taste and texture and it gives them something to do in the yard if there isn’t much stimulation.
If your dog isn’t displaying any symptoms of having digestive issues, (vomiting/diarrhea, lethargy, lack of appetite, etc.) but munches relentlessly on grass, consider psychological reasons for their behavior.
If your dog is having other symptoms besides eating grass, it is a good idea to set up an appointment with your veterinarian.
Why does my dog hump other dogs and humans?
Clever Critters: Overarousal/overexcitement, displacement behavior, it gets reinforced knowingly or unknowingly, conflicting emotions, anxiety or stress response (“fooling around”).
Why does my dog scoot its rear end across my carpeting or yard?
Honey B’s: Dogs scoot their butts for a few reasons. Anal gland issues, allergies, parasites, urinary tract infections (UTI), or maybe they just have a dirty butt!
Anal sacs release fluid when dogs poop which causes their poop to have a specific smell. When other dogs sniff it, they can tell who the poop belongs to based on this smell. If your dog’s anal sacs are not emptying the way they should when they poop, then they may need to have them expressed by the vet. The sacs can become painful and swollen if they do not express naturally and could lead to infection.
Another reason dogs may scoot is intestinal parasites. It is important to bring a fecal sample once a year to your vet for a fecal test to rule out any parasites. It is highly recommended to have your dog on a preventative that includes a dewormer for this reason. Some parasites can be transmitted to other pets and even people!
Allergies are another common reason why dogs could be scooting and they’re trying to reach their itchy bottom. If you see your dog do this once or twice, there may not be anything to worry about. However, if they do it frequently, it may be time to see a vet and find out the cause.
What are my options if my dog has anal gland issues?
Honey B’s: If your dog is frequently scooting their butt across the floor, you’re smelling that specific fishy smell on them or your furniture, frequent licking or biting of their butt, or showing any discomfort when pooping, you may need to bring your dog to the vet and have their anal glands checked and expressed.
If a dog’s nutritional needs are being met with high-quality food, and they maintain a healthy weight and get plenty of exercise, they should not need to have their anal glands expressed. If your dog is not having an issue, you do not need to have their anal glands checked, as they should empty on their own when they poop.
Dogs with anal gland issues may have to go to the vet for expression every three to four weeks depending on the severity. Eating a diet with adequate fiber can help keep your dog’s anal glands healthy. Fiber promotes healthy digestion and proper stool formation. The force of the firm, bulky stool against the colon wall near the anus can help express the anal glands during bowel movements. Supplements such as NaturVet No Scoot chew and Glandex anal gland chews could potentially help with these issues.
What’s the best dog breed for a family?
Clever Critters: No one breed is best for a family. Every home has different needs and a different lifestyle, and every dog has different needs and capabilities. Choosing an individual dog that fits your family is more important than looking for the “best family dog breed.”
Why do puppies always seem to like holding rocks in their mouths?
Clever Critters: Just like human babies, our puppies go through developmental stages that increase their sensory awareness. In addition, puppies and dogs use their mouths to explore, investigate, and interact. They don’t have hands like humans, but even human babies will put odd things in their mouths.
Potentially if an individual puppy is particularly infatuated with or compulsively holding rocks, or eating them, that is a different behavioral and medical concern.
Why does my dog scratch so much?
Clever Critters: It can be a displacement behavior in certain situations. Something to communicate, “I’m uncomfortable with this,” “I need space,” or “I’m not a threat and I’m ignoring you.”
Honey B’s: Dogs that have environmental allergies, food allergies, dry skin, fleas/ticks/mites, various skin conditions, or are bored, can scratch or lick often. It is important to know your dog and pay attention to how frequent the itching occurs and what is going on when he or she is itchy (shaking head, pawing at face, licking/biting feet).
A lot of dogs have food allergies/intolerances (i.e., chicken, dairy, beef). If your dog is keeping you up at night by scratching or shaking his/her head, it might be time to see your vet. They can help you find the source of the itch and the best way to alleviate it.
Changing food and trying a different protein may help some. For example, many pit bulls seem to be more intolerant to chicken-based foods and will start to scratch, have digestive issues such as diarrhea, and ear infections are all signs it may be time to try another protein.
Environmental allergies affect dogs just as they do humans. Spring or fall comes around and the sneezing and itching starts for many. Ask your vet for the best allergy medication for your pet if you suspect this is happening to your dog. There are over-the-counter medications that may help as well as oral medications from the vet such as Apoquel, or an allergy injection called Cytopoint.
If your dog isn’t protected against fleas *all year round* with a good-quality parasite prevention treatment, it could be fleas that are causing their itch. If you do find fleas on your dog, give them a good bath and apply/give orally their flea/tick preventive. You’ll most likely need to treat your home as well. Use a flea spray/flea “bomb” around the house, wash ALL your dog’s bedding/blankets on a high heat, and vacuum your entire home every day for about a week, including hardwood floors! Fleas and their eggs can hide in the cracks and hatch, resulting in reinfestation.
If you have more than one dog, why does it seem like one always makes a point to pee over the top of where the other dog just went? Why do some dogs not do this?
Clever Critters: Urination and marking have different goals. Urinating (peeing) is done to empty the bladder, whilst marking is a common way dogs communicate with others around them. There is a LOT of information they can gather and leave with marking or checking out marked areas. Some of this is just based on the individual dog and their preferences. Marking can also be a sign of stress or anxiety. One dog choosing to urinate on top of another dog’s does not appear to be closely researched yet and we still have much to learn about why dogs do some of the things they do.
Why do dogs eat poop? Is there anything that can be done to deter that?
Clever Critters: Coprophagia, or eating poop, may be gross to us, but for dogs, there are a variety of reasons this could occur. While some are medical, others can be behavioral or a combination of behavior and health. Eating poop from other animals may taste “good” to dogs and also serve as a way to get more information. Dogs have an area in the nasal cavity that opens into the back of their mouths and increases their ability to detect scents. Mother dogs eat their puppies’ poop in the whelping space, which puppies may pick up but usually discontinue. There are also multiple mental health concerns associated with this, including pica, anxiety disorders, and sometimes learned behavior as a displacement due to aversive training history.
Honey B’s: There is really nothing that can be done for dogs that eat poop, a behavior also known as “coprophagia.” We ourselves have two labradors that eat poop daily and I’ve researched and tried many ways to “deter” them from snacking, but in the end there is nothing to do but pick up the poop the second it hits the ground. The food additives and oral chews don’t do anything but waste your money.
In the Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, animal behaviorist Steven R. Lindsay says that coprophagia “may be one of several appetitive survival behaviors that have evolved to cope with the periodic adversity of starvation.” In other words, when food is scarce, you just can’t be picky.
If you see that your adult dog starts to eat poop out of nowhere, you should consult with your vet to rule out health problems such as parasites, malabsorption syndromes, diabetes, Cushing’s Disease, thyroid disease, and other conditions that could cause an increase in appetite.
Diets deficient in nutrients and calories could also cause dogs to eat poop but this is not always a sign that something is wrong. Your dog might just like the taste!
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This post only scratches the surface of the questions and answers we received, but we don’t want to overburden our readers with too much information at once. Look for follow-up editions of “Why do dogs do what they do?” in the coming weeks.
If you have questions you’d like to add to our list—or if you would like further information about any of the questions above—feel free to respond in the comments below and we’ll do our best to reply to everyone. If you are a training/behavior or medical professional that would like to add to the answers here, we also invite you to respond below.