Here's Why Your Dogs Circle The Yard Before Going To Poop

You let your dog out to use the bathroom, only to find that they’re taking ages! They’re circling around the yard, wandering the area, doing all sorts of other things before settling in to go to the toilet. Why does this happen?

A Compass

As strange as it sounds, studies have found that dogs prefer to poop in a certain way – to line up on the earth’s north-south axis. Yes, it sounds crazy, but it’s totally true!

For whatever reason, dogs seem to want to match the magnetic field of the planet whenever they use the bathroom, hence the reason they spin around in circles before finally getting down to business. Foxes and cattle do this, too!

Social Cues

Dogs instinctively scent mark. Basically, all their toilet movements are done with purpose, to send a message and leave behind information for other dogs to interpret.

Dogs may also look for social cues left behind by other animals and investigate them in order to leave an appropriate response. It’s an odd communication method, but it’s been done for ages!

Unique Factors

Each dog has their own personality. Some are just a lot more picky than others.

If you want to teach your dog to go a little faster, you can use standard training techniques and a potty cue or command, mixed with positive reinforcement, to encourage faster bathroom usage. Still, this behavior isn’t harmful – so don’t get mad at your dog for doing it!

Feature Image Source: Pixabay