Why Do Dogs Take So Long to Poop?
Why do dogs take so long to poop? Well, like so many things in life there isn’t just one simple answer.
The reason why dogs take so long to defecate has to do with a couple different things; it has to do with smell, social signals, and even aligning with magnetic fields. From aligning with the Earth’s magnetic fields to responding to social cues from other dogs, dogs have a few good reasons to take their time when it comes to finding that perfect spot to squat.
There are very few things we can be certain of in life, but one of those things is that everyone poops, dogs included. Just like you might appreciate a morning’s poo, your dog does too. You might be picky and only go number two in your home or a private bathroom. You might even have candles and air fresheners ready. While humans want to cover up that scent, dogs are quite the opposite. Dogs are a lot pickier than humans when it comes to their spot. Dogs choose their spot as a means to communicate with other dogs. One thing they’re communicating is marking territory. Their poop tells other dogs not only that they were there, but what they ate, if they’re a friend or enemy, and even if a female is in heat. Dogs use their strong sense of smells to determine what the poop is saying. Your dog might circle for a few reasons. It could be just to find the perfect spot to send his message, or he is aligning himself with the Earth’s magnetic field. It may sound strange, but according to a two-year study published in Frontiers in Zoology, dogs prefer to align themselves to the North-South axis of the earth’s magnetic field when dropping a deuce. If your dog is taking a long time to do his business, he might be stalling. If he only goes on walks to do a number two, he’s probably picked up on this and is going to sniff and search for the perfect spot just to extend his time outside. He could also be nervous and the environment is not calm enough. If he’s an anxious dog, loud streets and commotion might make it more difficult for him to do his doggy business. It’s possible your dog prefers grass over cement or dirt. When puppies are trained, they might have developed a surface preference that stuck with them through adulthood. If your dog doesn’t have access to his preferred surface, he might wait until he finds it. If it’s not available, you may have problems.
Everyone has their pooping preferences, especially your dog. He has important places to sniff and serious messages to send, so let him send them. Whatever your dog’s pooping policy is, respect it. If you don’t, he might send a message to you, in the middle of your new carpet. That will send a message for sure.
You shouldn’t rush or discourage your dog from pooping. Communicating with other dogs is important and so is marking his turf, even if the behavior takes a while. Your dog wants to send the message perfectly and it could take a bit of effort. This pickiness can be problematic when there are weather extremes of 97 degrees or 10 degrees weather. You could be sweating bullets or freezing cold, and your dog will be circling and sniffing for ten minutes. Even in mild weather, you might be in a rush to get to a friend’s house and not have time for your usual long walk. But your dog doesn’t know this, and he still takes ten minutes to find his spot. When you need your dog to do his business quickly, it can be frustrating. Your best bet is to train him to go on command, with a command like “Go potty.” For this, you’ll probably need a trainer’s help. If your walks are short and your dog extends them by sniffing around, consider longer walks so he knows he’ll have some time outside to smell everything. If you have a busy schedule and can’t take him for longer walks, contemplate hiring a dog walker during the day. Your dog will not only be grateful for the opportunity to leave his mark exactly where he wants, but he’ll also get out pent up energy and be healthier. Longer walks will help with his behavior at home and will make him happy.
You should let your dog sniff and circle and dig until he is satisfied that he found the perfect spot to mark his territory. Make sure you take him on long walks so he has his selection of places. If you must rush, work with a trainer to teach him to go on command. Your dog’s pooping preference shouldn’t be too concerning unless it affects his health. If he won’t poop, even in his favorite spot and starts showing signs of constipation, you need to take him to the vet. Signs of constipation include not pooping for two or more days, lack of appetite, straining, lethargy, passing liquid stool or mucus after straining to go, crying or visible signs of discomfort while trying to poo.
Your dog’s number one priority on a walk can be his number two. He sniffs for a while, circles the area, and if he decides its worthy of being his toilet, he poops. And as a mere servant, you use a plastic bag to clean it up. However, there are times you walk your dog and he does the sniff and circle, only to move onto another spot. You might walk for longer than you thought because your dog is not satisfied with the options of where to relieve himself. If your dog has the luxury of the backyard, he might have a specific area that he’s designated his bathroom. Why does your dog only poop in certain places? Why does he sniff and circle and is picky about where he goes?
#2: Based on their ‘substrate preference’
Is your pup a picky pooper?
And do they only drop their dookie on certain surfaces?
If so, this could be due to substrate preference.
It means that a dog has a preferred surface for elimination. And this influences their decision.
For example, puppies who are used to poop on grass may not defecate on bare soil or concrete. Or it could be vice versa as well.
Besides pooping, this might also be the case if a dog doesn’t like to pee in specific places.
According to Dr. Valarie Tynes, when puppies are 5 weeks old, they’ll start to have a favorite pooping spot.
Then, they’ll develop substrate preference between 8 to 9 weeks old. While other experts say that this could also last up to 24 weeks.
So during this period, pups need some ‘toilet guidance’ from their parents. Or else…
They’re going to develop their own preference. Which may or may not be appropriate.
Also, dogs must be exposed to different surfaces at an early age.
This is to prevent them from taking too much time before pooping. As well as from refusing to eliminate when their preferred surface isn’t available.
Note: It’s recommended to start toilet training when dogs are 7 to 8 weeks old.
Why Do Dogs Take Forever To Pick A Spot To Poop?
If youre a dog owner, youll see your dog poop thousands of times over their life. Have you ever wondered how dogs decide where to poop?
Several years ago, a study conducted by Czech and German researchers found that dogs prefer to poop along the north-south magnetic lines of the earth. The news was widely shared, with many in disbelief. Do dogs really poop in alignment with the earths magnetic field?
The answer, as far as we know, is yes. The exhaustive (and probably exhausting) study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology, examined 70 dogs of 37 different breeds over two years. After observing 1,893 defecations and 5,582 urinations, researchers found that under “calm magnetic field conditions,” dogs seemed to prefer to defecate “with the body being aligned along the north-south axis,” and appeared to completely avoid the east-west axis.
The researchers noted that this behavior was only consistent under calm magnetic field conditions. When the earths magnetic field was in a state of flux, which happens during events like geomagnetic storms, the dogs behavior was less predictable.
As to why dogs would do this, we still have no idea. We dont know if they are conscious of the earths magnetic fields and purposely align themselves along them in specific ways, or if their sensitivity to the earths geomagnetic field exists on an unconscious level. Moreover, we dont know why this behavior would be beneficial or preferable to dogs.
Dogs also use defecation to fulfill a social purpose: Theyre leaving information for the next dog to find.
As you probably know, dogs have an incredible sense of smell, which they use as their primary way of gathering information. When a dog poops, they are leaving a deposit of important information, and they cant take that task lightly.
In the wild, wolves leave feces, urine, and other scent markings to mark the perimeter of their territories. These scent markings tell other wolves to stay away. Domesticated dogs, though theyre far removed from their wolf ancestors, may feel a similar urge to leave these markings for other dogs to “read.” As Carlo Siracusa, director of the Small Animal Behavior Service at the veterinary hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, told Bryan Gardiner at Wired, “these messages can tell your dog how many other dogs are in the immediate area, the sexual status of those dogs … whether a particular dog is a friend or an enemy, what he or she had for lunch, and when they were last in the area.”
Dogs can be weird, and they can be gross, but you cant deny that they must know some things we dont. Should we be pooping in alignment with the earths north-south magnetic fields? Thats a question only science can answer.