Reasons A Dog Might Walk and Poop At The Same Time
This is probably why my dog does it as concluded by my veterinarian.
Since she normally poops when we are on walks and going to new locations, the fear she feels keeps her moving.
In her mind staying still may mean opening herself up to vulnerabilities that can harm her.
This is common in dogs with abusive pasts.
They always need to be “on guard”.
When she keeps moving it helps her feel safer.
I noticed she does not do this when she poops in our yard, so the anxiety angle makes sense.
There is probably no fix for this, so I just deal with it.
If your dog is a notoriously anxiety ridden dog or if you recently adopted an abused dog, you may notice this as part of their behavior.
When your dog (or even you) walk it helps get those bowels moving and can help reduce that feeling of bloat and constipation.
If they have an upset belly or are constipated, the additional walking while pooping might be their way of moving things through their system.
If your dog has diarrhea that can cause them to poop a lot on the walk as well.
Because it is loose and runny it may seemingly “leak out” while they are walking.
Keep an eye on the consistency of their poop to ensure it is not too hard or dry. If you notice the stool is hard, which might be why they are walking and moving, then you need to up their fluids to help soften those stools.
It happens to every living thing!
Sometimes all the poop does not make it out.
Maybe they have a loose stool that is left hanging or a harder poop that is close to being out but is a bit stuck.
If there is a loose poop dangling from their butt, the walking may help dislodge it.
If they get frustrated enough they also might scoot their butts on the grass to help get it out as well.
Dog breeds with longer hair might have additional issues with this if some of the poop gets stuck to their fur.
This happened with one of my senior dogs, she was having joint problems and pooping just became harder for her.
Her back legs were starting to fail so being in a pooping position for a long time was just not possible.
You may not realize just how hard it is and how much strength is needed for a dog to stay in the poop position.
For older dogs, it can be quite the challenge.
So she would go for a few seconds, then stop.
She would walk a few steps and then poop a bit more.
If your dog is not an older dog, it could be other health issues.
Maybe they are arthritic or have a pulled muscle or ACL injury you are not aware of.
If the walk and poop behavior is new, then these are things you should look into to see if there is pain happening that is keeping your dog moving.
Sometimes a dog walking while pooping can be as simple as them marking their territory.
If they poop in one place it is only telling other dogs that “hey this is my area”.
But if they walk and poop leaving droppings along they way they are saying “hey, all this is my area”.
Would you want your scent left in one small area, or in several small areas to let others now you own the place?
Some dogs might have learned this behavior as a pup.
Maybe they were having an accident in the house and either they, or their owner would move them mid-poop to a proper pooping location.
This may be “training” them to move while they are in mid-poop.
If this is this case, you should be able to to change that behavior with some training.
Sometimes, there is just no reason.
A dog just wants to “doo” what they want to “doo”!
If this is the case, then just let them poop as they wish and move on with your walk.
Just like we are all unique, so are dogs.
Let them be who they are and embrace their uniqueness!
Some dogs just want to dump and go.
Others want to dump a little and move away from the yuckiness to finish their business in a cleaner area.
Kind of like the human version of the mid-poop flush.
Yes, you know some of you do it.
3. Look for nearby grass. Hopefully this occurred on grass, but if not not, walk your dog to the nearest grass. Nature’s doormat will at least help pull off the majority of the poop that ended up on their feet. If your dog is somehow covered-in poop. This step will only prolong the inevitable confrontation with your poop-covered dog, proceed to the next step.
You’re out on a lovely walk, noting the beauty of the day. Your dog poops. A responsible owner, you reach for your dog poop bags, but before you begin your descent towards your dog’s latest poop art piece, a kindly stranger asks you for directions to a nearby store.
You stand there in shame, glad that the stranger was far enough away to not witness the Poop-ocalypse that just occurred. And then like any good pet parent, you move into action.
The sun shines, birds chirp and your dog (whom you’ve been home with all day) goes into an attention-starved panic, as you take 30 seconds to point your neighbor in the right direction. You feel the wild tug of a mad dog at the end of the leash and before you can yell a slow motion “Nooooooo,” your dog takes a leap into the pile of poop he seems to forgotten he left there only moments ago. Poop-tastrophe.
How to Train Your Dog to Stop Eating Poop
First, start with his environment. Keep his living area clean—especially the yard—so there wont be any droppings for him to eat. That means picking up after him as soon as poop happens, not waiting until the snow melts or someone needs to mow the lawn. Pay attention to your dog while youre strolling through the neighborhood and clean up after him as soon as he poops, too.
You might also ask, “Why do dogs eat cat poop?” And your dog will stare at you and think, “Because its delicious!” So keep the cats litter box clean or place it somewhere your dog cant get to it.
Why Do Dogs Eat Their Own Poop: and how to STOP it!
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Of all the repulsive habits our dogs have—drinking from the toilet, rolling in swamp muck, licking their butts— nothing disgusts most owners more than pondering why dogs eat poop. Their motivation may not be to gross us humans out, but it certainly does. So much so, in fact, that discovering that your dog eats poop is often cited as a reason people try to rehome a dog or even opt for euthanasia.
There’s a scientific name for this poop-eating habit— coprophagia (kop-ruh-fey-jee-uh)—and also both behavioral and physiological reasons why some dogs view poop as a delicacy. If you have a poop eater, don’t despair. There are ways to discourage the habit and even some over-the-counter solutions. Although not deeply probed by science — there are few studies on it — poop eating is a relatively common phenomenon in dogs. In a 2012 study presented at the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior annual conference, researchers led by Dr. Benjamin Hart, from the University of California, Davis, found that:
Hart wrote, “Our conclusion is that eating of fresh stools is a reflection of an innate predisposition of ancestral canids living in nature that protects pack members from intestinal parasites present in feces that could occasionally be dropped in the den/rest area.” Translation: It’s in a dog’s DNA to eat poop.
The study consisted of two separate surveys sent to about 3,000 dog owners. While eating poop is repulsive to human sensibilities, it’s not really all that bad from a canine point of view. Dogs evolved as scavengers, eating whatever they found on the ground or in the trash heap, so their ideas of haute cuisine are somewhat different from ours. In his 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 can’t be picky.