Have you noticed your dog kicking grass? Dogs can do a lot of unexplainable things, and as a devoted dog parent, you’ve probably wondered why dogs kick grass and what you can do about it.
Dogs kicking grass can be humorous to watch. After all, you really love everything your canine baby does. Keep on reading to learn the reason behind this behavior.
Why Do Dogs Kick Grass?
If you’re keeping an eye on your dog, you’ve probably noticed that after poop, they’re likely to stand and extend their hind legs behind the body and start moving them in a bicycling movement.
This can be a little inconvenient because the dog will end up with lots of mud on their paws that you have to clean properly before you both head back home. Moreover, dogs are likely to do this behavior in the least appropriate time, so you need to understand why.
Although some of your dog’s behavior might seem odd to you, it makes perfect sense to them. Dogs can kick grass for a variety of reasons, and you need to act swiftly to make sure that your canine baby won’t cause a big mess. Here are some reasons why your dog might be kicking grass.
Mark their Territory
In most cases, your pooch will kick grass after they’ve pooped. This might be inconvenient for you because if you don’t act fast enough, mud with poop will start flying around before you can act quickly.
Dogs do that to stimulate the scent glands in their paws. Dogs have scent glands in their paws’ pads, and they want to release the scent to claim this piece of land where they did their business. For a dog, this makes perfect sense.
Dogs do this back kicking to spread their pheromones. This way, any other dog will know who this piece of land belongs to. When there are multiple dogs in the area, dogs are likely to engage in this behavior to mark their territories.
Establishing Dominance
In a multi-pet household, you’re likely to see one dog doing the backward scratching dance more than others. In this situation, size doesn’t matter, and the alpha dog will be trying to spread their scent, even if it’s not the biggest dog in the pack.
Your pooch is basically trying to let other dogs know who the boss is. Competition between dogs and other pets in the same household is quite common, and your canine baby will do all sorts of crazy things to show that they’re the boss of the house.
Even if your dogs have never done this before, they might suddenly start kicking the grass if a new dog joins the household. They can do this after pooping to spread their scent by covering a wider area, or they can do it by rubbing the scent glands in the pads of their paws to achieve the same result.
Discovering a New Area
Your pooch can start scratching the ground and kicking grass even when they’re away from home. As a matter of fact, this behavior is quite common in the wild, and scientists believe that animals do it to establish tiers in their hierarchy systems.
Your dog, just like other animals, wants other creatures to know where they fit in the chain. This behavior is quite normal.
Should I Worry Because My Dog is Kicking Grass?
No. As a matter of fact, kicking grass is a sign that your dog is in good health and is living their best life.
If your dog was happily kicking grass and suddenly stopped, you might need to take him or her to the vet. Kicking grass is a sign that your pooch is aware of their existence, and they want to share this fact with the whole world. You shouldn’t be alarmed even if the action seems a bit hysterical to you.
How Can I Prevent my Dog from Kicking Grass?
Although this is typical healthy behavior, you don’t have to like it. Lots of dog parents hate it when their dogs start to kick grass for the following reasons.
- Dogs usually do this right after they have relieved themselves. Since you will probably be standing nearby, the poop will start flying everywhere, probably hitting your face or hands before you can even move.
- It’s tough to pick up your dog’s mess after they’ve kicked the grass and spread it everywhere.
- Your dog’s paws will smell. They naturally smell because of the scent glands, but now they will smell like poop.
- After kicking grass, your dog’s paws will be extremely dirty with sticky mud covering them. If you’re getting into the car or going back into the house, this might be a bit unpleasant.
Nevertheless, it’s quite impossible to stop your pooch from doing something that is powered by their natural instincts. Remember that dogs have got minds of their own, and although your pet baby might be trying to please you, you shouldn’t come between them and their natural behavior. Here is what you can do.
- Encourage your dog to modify their behavior. If you’re worried about the landscape in your garden, lawn, or backyard, take your dog to a park where he or she can kick the grass happily.
- Always be ready with extra gloves and a shovel to pick more of the mess when you’re walking your dog. This will guarantee that you’ve removed everything that might have got in touch with their poop.
- Keep your dog’s favorite toy within reach. The minute your pooch has finished doing their business, introduce the toy to them. This will keep your dog occupied, and he or she might not be interested in digging, scratching, and kicking grass any longer.
Final Thoughts
Dogs kick grass for numerous reasons, and this behavior is perfectly normal, although it can be a bit inconvenient.
It’s quite challenging to stop your canine baby from doing something that is directly related to their natural genetic instincts. However, you can use a few techniques to distract your dog, so you can limit this behavior that you might not be very fond of.
