Get critters out of the way
This theory refers to the dog's past when he still lived in the wild and ran around in the tall grass. Just like dogs circling before bed, there is a chance that dogs will circle before pooping to scare away critters. The critters that live in the tall grass can be anything from stinging beetles to scorpions to poisonous snakes. By dabbing the grass with their paws and moving in circles, dogs can clear the grass of any potential critters that could pose a threat.
Let's face it: When dogs poop, they are actually in a pretty vulnerable position. They have to stay still for a few seconds, and since they don't have eyes behind their backs to act as rearview mirrors, they can't see what's happening on their rear end.
With the tail out of the way, their rumps have areas with less hair to protect them. Maybe this is why some dogs become so obsessed with checking their rear end when they see an insect floating around them! Is your dog fly-phobic? Then you'll definitely like the secret why dogs hate flies!
Move grass out of the way
This other theory revolves around the dog's need for cleanliness. Let's call it the "disgust factor" if that's something dogs can have.
Again, we think back to the old days when dogs lived in areas with tall vegetation. There may have been changes that dogs started running in circles to tamp down the grass, but this time to avoid getting into a "sticky situation."
In other words, let's imagine a dog pooping in tall grass that hasn't been trampled. At some point, one bowel movement at a time, dogs may have learned throughout their evolutionary history that pooping on tall grass is quite an inconvenience. The poop can get caught on the blades of grass and smear all over the fur.
Additionally, if it was windy, the blades of grass may have tickled the dog's bottom and startled him so he didn't know whether it was a blade of grass or another animal!
It may be that at this point the dogs began circling to do two things: scare away animals and probe for pesky grasses.
Leave a trace
Since dogs use their poop and pee as a calling card, the theory of why dogs circle before pooping has some merit. Maybe, just maybe, dogs circle before pooping to signal other dogs or animals to notice their presence. Dogs have been known to lift their legs to pee on vertical surfaces such as utility poles, fire hydrants, and mail posts because these objects are elevated. They are just high enough for other dogs to comfortably sniff at their own nose level! The dogs that pick up the pee sniff it and learn a lot about the dog that left the pee (or most likely a lot more!).
Piss can also serve as a business card. It is believed that many dogs throw their legs back after pooping so that they leave visual and olfactory traces. It may be that dogs who circle before pooping do so intentionally to leave additional markings that tell other dogs, "Rover was here."
Visually, the pile is easier to find if the grass is tamped around it. In terms of smell, dogs can smell the smell of destroyed vegetation. They also have scent glands between their toes.
When a dog scans the grass, there is a chance that the scent from these glands will be transferred to the ground and the blades of grass.
Alignment with the Earth's magnetic field
Here's another interesting theory about why dogs circle before pooping, which comes from a recent study.
According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology, dogs appear to respond to slight fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field. Scientists at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague observed several dogs pooping for two years (to be exact, there were 1,893 pooping and 5,582 peeing!). They found that dogs prefer to orient their bodies along the north-south axis. This is a behavior that is not uncommon in many animals. This tendency has been observed in grazing and resting cattle, deer and some foxes for orientation and navigation and for developing regional maps.
But why do dogs particularly like to poop on the north-south axis? This remains another wildlife mystery to be solved. Does Rover act like a compass needle, swinging around when Mother Nature calls? Or is this just a strange coincidence? Some dog owners think this is a load of crap (pun intended).
The next time your dog poops, it might still be worth paying attention to where he's looking. Maybe the researchers are up to something, or maybe the "orientation of the dog" is just a coincidental act.
Now that you know.
As we've seen, dogs have their own good reasons for turning around before pooping. Circling before pooping can certainly be amusing, whether you own a Great Dane or a Chihuahua.
That's why you should leave your dog's leash loose when nature calls. When your dog can move around more freely, he will feel more relaxed and get his business done quicker.
