How do Dogs Choose their Potty Spot?
Why do dogs take so long to go potty? Why do they need to sniff around everywhere before they decide where to poop?
There is science behind this behavior. There are four main factors dogs consider when choosing a place to go to the bathroom. These can include:
Read more about these four factors below.
Knowing What’s Going On
Poop helps dogs understand the behavior of other dogs. The ability to smell is one of your dog’s most effective methods of communication. If you see him sniffing around for a while, he’s more than likely taking a look at the messages other animals have left.
Their sense of smell is so keen they are able to understand if a dog is a friend or an enemy, what the dog ate for lunch, and the sexual status of the other dog in the area.
Anxiety and Nervousness
If your dog has anxiety, she may be anxious about where she uses the bathroom. Contrary to popular belief, many dogs (especially anxious dogs) enjoy their privacy. Some dogs will want a quiet, peaceful area.
Magnetic Poles
The Earth’s magnetic fields are thought to be a reason your dog spins in a circle when she’s about to poop. Your dog may want to be aligned in the proper ‘area’ before she goes potty.
Wrapping it Up
It’s interesting that so many factors go into your dog’s decision to use the bathroom. Many people think they just walk and pick somewhere based on the ‘hey, this is a good spot,’ but in reality, your dog is scientifically searching.
So next time your pup goes out and takes longer than normal – maybe consider these four factors that could be affecting your pup.
Should I look at my dog when he poops?
I think it’s completely fine to look at your dog when he poops. In fact, it gives them assurance and confidence that they are in safe hands that care about them.
It’s a good way to make sure that everything is okay and that your dog isn’t having any issues. It’s also something that all dogs do, so it doesn’t look like you’re being weird or anything.
If you’re worried about what other people will think, keep in mind that most people don’t pay attention to their dogs’ poops; they assume they’re all done.
#3: By marking their territories
It’s known that dogs can be territorial.
And to help them claim something, their bodies will release a liquid that gives off a unique scent.
Now, this specific odor will now serve as their ID. As it holds their basic information. Such as their age, gender, and mood. As well as their health status.
So when other Fidos smell it, they’ll be able to tell whose territory they’re on.
This liquid may also convey messages. And it can be used to communicate with other dogs.
Say, if they’d like to tell everyone to back off from their territory. Or if they just want to say “Hello!”
“So, where does this smelly fluid come from?”
Dogs can produce this in the sweat of their paws, urine, and even poop.
Most canines pee to leave their property signboards. (This is called ‘urine marking.’)
But, they could also use their stools for the same purpose.
Canines may decide to poop within their territory. And they do this to establish their area once more.
They might also take a dump in an unmarked area to claim it.
This is why your dog may poop in different spots. Or in new areas that they didn’t use before for toilet breaks.
Interesting fact: This behavior is also seen in wolves a.k.a. dogs’ ancestors. So our furry pals might have inherited this from them. Research shows that wolves poop a lot in their area. And they do this to defend their territories as well.
Another study also has a similar observation. But in this, wolves tend to mark along their boundaries. Rather than pooping in the middle.
And they do this especially in parts that are likely to be intruded. So it’s also their way of protecting their own area.
But aside from this, a dog may also decide where to poop…
Why Do Dogs Take Forever To Pick A Spot To Poop?
Dogs have a lot of different ways of choosing where to poop. They can decide whether they want to go to a particular place based on smell, but they also use their sense of sight and hearing. The question of how does a dog decide where to poop? This is the reason for this page’s existence and is loaded with accurate answers.
Dogs are naturally territorial, and they will usually try to poop in areas that they feel comfortable with by considering their safety, avoid distraction or privacy without disturbance and sniff around for places where there are already poops around. Dogs poop to communicate with other dogs, their owners, and other animals in their environment. They can also use this behavior to mark their territory and communicate with other dogs, and poop in line with the earth’s magnetic field.
This will help them figure out where other people’s dogs have gone before so that it doesn’t smell as bad. In the wild, dogs use their nose to guide them in selecting a good place to go. They can smell the soil and absorb its odor.