Why does my dog kick his hind legs after doing his business?
Sign up to our newsletter for daily updates and breaking news Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice  It's a strange little habit you might have noticed with your pooch. Your dog heads outside to the garden to do his business and then starts kicking his hind legs backwards, scraping the floor where he has just done a wee or a poo. It might be a completely new behaviour or it might be something hes done since he was a pup. The answer is actually simple. Its a basic instinct, and most dogs will kick behind themselves after they poop  no matter their size or their breed or their level of training. While it may appear that dogs are doing this to cover up their mess, this isnt actually the case. Its basically a behaviour to mark their territory. By nature, and in the wild, canines are territorial. Marking an area with scents from urine, faeces and their paws sends the message to other dogs that this is their territory. Dogs have scent glands in their feet that secrete pheromones, a chemical that triggers social reactions and interactions amongst other canine species, and the scents released from dogs feet is more pungent and lasts longer than the scents of urine and faeces. So, when a dog kicks the ground after defecating, they are releasing pheromones onto the ground. As well as the smells, pheromones relay territorial claims, sexual availability, possible food trails and warnings of danger. Theres no reason for concern. Its not naughty or problematic behaviour, and is completely harmless. Your dog is simply doing it because thats what their body is telling their to do. For some pet parents, it might be frustrating to send their dog out to go to the toilet several times per day only to see their freshly cut grass wrecked by the continuous scraping. If you really want to try and stop it, dog behaviour experts suggest distracting your pooch with treats or a game straight after hes done his business and before the scraping starts. Also, think about taking your dog on more frequent walks where the scraping doesnt really matter!