Tiga's_mom Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I've seen other dogs do it as well and I'm not really sure how to explain it but I'll try. lol. It's not really something I'm concerned about, more just wondering. Sometimes after Tiga does his business he'll make his legs super stiff and scuff them on the ground. Today he did it so much that he was flicking dirt on me! LOL! I'm not sure if I'm being clear or not. Does anyone understand/know what I'm talking about and if so what it means? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizmo Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I've read that it means the dog is. . .like marking his territory. . .but with scents from his paws. Don't quote me on that, though, as I just quickly read over it in a book I was reading. My female does the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurelin Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Three of mine do that (2 females and a male). I figure it's just marking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I've always heard it's a way of marking. The other day, after marking over the Sheltie's pee, the Lhasa kicked grass in the also interested Border Collie's face. Those two are such pals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Daisy used to do it when something had been in our yard at night. A cat I am assuming/hoping. Our foster dog does it ALL the time so now Daisy does it ALL the time...I don't know if they are competing over each other or what. I think it's like marking. They both also make a point of peeing over other dogs pee. Apparently I've got two territorial females. It kind of makes sense, since they sweat from their paws.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCDreamer Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 The gang here does it sometimes, not all the time, but every once in a while. I've seen everyone but Psyche and Bella do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo Peep Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I've read that it means the dog is. . .like marking his territory. . .but with scents from his paws. Don't quote me on that, though, as I just quickly read over it in a book I was reading. My female does the same thing. As far as I know, this is the story I've always heard. Usher is a "raker" bits of pieces of grass go flying all over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiga's_mom Posted May 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 That's pretty much what I thought but wasn't sure. Tiga has been doing it more as he gets older. He does it most when he's pooped and there's a stranger in the vicinity. We have a friend with a lhasa that does it ALL the time. Tiga does mark a lot too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody & Duchess Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 At the shelter where I volunteer - we try to move dogs quickly from the area that they just did their business. We are responsible for being pooper scoopers - it is not unknown for those not versed in the rule of moving the dog on to be sprayed by flying poop as the dog scuffs the ground. If it happens to you, it only happens once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet_ceana Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Poke does this. We turned it into a command so we can have him wipe his feet if they get muddy. If you tell Poke "feet, feet, feet," he is more than happy to preform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertranger Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 All correct it's marking. However no one has the correct reason why they do it that way. It's because they can't hold a marker pen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiered Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Yeah I always just figured it was marking behaviour. I've seen Dingoes/wild dogs do it in the wild also, when we've been out bush. Bonnie does it occasionally but my Dad's Kelpie (neutered male) does it all of the time. He grew up in an area where most people let their dogs roam and other dogs were always coming into his territory so I think this could be why he feels he has to do this all the time, he also pees on everything to mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumpin Boots Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Our dogs all do this off and on, and I would agree that it is a territory marking behavior. However, in our experience it is a bit of a flip of the dew-claw behavior and if a new dog does that in an established pack they can get put back in place. The last place we lived, our landlord, who lived about 15 feet away was the main person for an animal rescue so she would have between 8-30 dogs at her place at a time. To offset our rent, we often helped with cleaning kennels, mowing, socializing, ect. We got to talking about that behavior one day when a dog was being introduced into a larger yard area to be able to play with other dogs. She started doing it, and was spayed, and my landlord got after her verbally, 'Achhtttt' quite quickly the other 3 dogs, who had been quite calm had their tails up and were necks held high, and then there was a little scuffly between the new dog and 2 of the others. The landlord said that often when a new dog comes in and does that, it will disrupt the other dogs and lead to a pecking order fight. I have no scientific research to say this is true, but it is something she has noticed over the last 10-15 years of dealing with foster dogs. So I have started paying more attention to this behavior with my pack. When we first brought our current fosters home we had them out on leashes, with Boots and Renoir. As soon as Ruby did this, Boots trotted over and pushed her around with his chest a bit. Also we are down at my parents farm probably 6 days a week and they have some semi-aggressive dogs next door (mainly the dogs are just super bored, and hate how fast our dogs are and get frusturated watching our dogs run across 10 acres, while they are cooped up in a tiny back yard. Anyway, one of the dogs is constantly getting out and has nailed Smudge pretty hard on two occassions right after Smudge has shown that behavior. Now that may not support anything, because he will come after Smudge just about any time, he picks on the pretty/vunerable ones, but watching Smudge do this manuever in their direction really sets him off. Again, I have no scientific proof, this is just what someone who has been around a ton of dogs noticed, and I have seen similarities in it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Yeah, I agree it's a marking type behavior. Like trying to spread their scent around or whatever. Alex started doing it off and on a while back. When he does it, I'll say "Yeah, yeah. You're a big man." Which, if you know Alex, is far from the truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiacha7j Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 My older dog, Jess, does this fairly often,usually, like others have said, when he's remarking his territory after another dog's been in the front yard. I've only seen the younger dog do it once. There's a house that we go by on our way to the park w/ 2 dogs that bark at him whenever we go by. Zeke's bothered by other dogs that bark from behind a fence (although not phased at all if dogs bark at him in other scenarios--I think it may be related to spending a month in the shelter during that 6-month-old sensitive period, but could be off on this), and tends to slink by that yard as quickly as possible. I was walking him by the other day, and he was unusually nervous about it, even tried to hide behind me at one point. We walked most of the way past the house, and Zeke realized the dogs weren't out. Puffed out his chest, lifted his leg on the fence, and kicked dirt everywhere, then strutted the whole rest of the way to the park. That's my big macho boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie_Girl Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 And I thought they were just removing grass for future mud holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 It's an exclamation mark, when normal marking isn't enough . Actually, the way Kessie does it, it's a whole bunch of exclamation marks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Great explanation Sandra! J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Nick must be stuck on semi-colons, then, because he just kinda stretches forward without actually scratching anything up. He's a very submissive dog, and I think he learned it from Lu, who does it all the time, but he didn't quite figure it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiga's_mom Posted May 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 LOL! I love it! Exclamation mark and semi colon. Tiga's done both. It's more an exclamation mark when there's other people/dogs around and more of a semi colon when it's just us. He likes to try to make himself look alpha I think. Doesn't really work so well when he prances away after doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Again, I have no scientific proof, this is just what someone who has been around a ton of dogs noticed, and I have seen similarities in it too. I agree that this is some kind of "in your face" behavior that sets some dogs off. Since I've been a kid, I've seen it as a marking behavior, but not necessarily a friendly one. I think when I first had Buddy, some other dog's owner had been told by a trainer not to let her dog do this marking behavior, because it was kind of "I'm the man" stuff. To me, the body language the dogs have as they do it is also kind of dominant-looking: quite stiff. My dog doesn't do this, nor does he react when other dogs do, which may throw off my theory, because he reacts to most dominance displays. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anda Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Mine does it after peeing on top of a very important old pee - just like Sandra said, the exclamation mark in ME! He also does it after pooping, and I associated a command with it - I am asking him "Are you done?!" and then he scratches the ground and sends it flying in random directions. At least it allows me to determine if he's actually done or he still has to "think" about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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