Why Dogs Kick Their Feet After Pooping: Ground-Scratching Explained

By Dr Duncan Houston

Your dog finishes toileting, takes a few steps and sends a spray of grass behind them. It can look like an attempt to bury the evidence, especially when you are standing in the firing line.

This familiar action is called ground-scratching. The useful questions are what it may communicate, whether it is causing damage, and how to move on without turning a normal walk into a struggle.

Quick Answer

Dogs may kick the ground after pooping or urinating as a form of communication involving scent, visible scratches and the movement itself. It is not reliable evidence that a dog is dominant, anxious or trying to clean their paws. Brief ground-scratching usually needs no intervention unless it damages the area, troubles others or hurts the dog; a practised reward-based walking cue can help you leave the spot calmly.

What does the scratching communicate?

Ground-scratching occurs in both domestic dogs and wild canids. Veterinary behaviourist Dr Wailani Sung describes it as a possible combination of chemical and visual signals: a dog disturbs the surface, leaves scratches and may disperse scent associated with the feet or elimination.

The exact message is not settled for every dog or occasion. We should not translate each kick as “this belongs to me” or “I am in charge”. What other dogs are doing and where the scratching happens may matter.

The behaviour can also happen after sniffing or urinating, so it is not simply a response to a bowel movement. It does not reliably cover waste, either. You still need to pick up your dog's poo, even when they have enthusiastically rearranged the grass around it.

Why does one dog do it and another never does?

Dogs vary in how often and how vigorously they scratch. Both sexes can do it. Some kick once or twice; others alternate several strokes. A dog that never scratches is not missing a necessary toileting step.

Research describes patterns in particular groups of dogs, including shelter and free-ranging populations. Those observations do not justify a universal percentage for all pet dogs, or a personality label for your own dog. Pay attention to their usual pattern instead.

Decide whether to allow it or move on

There is space and no problem

On a suitable surface, away from people and vulnerable planting, a short scratch may be easy to accommodate. Stand to one side while keeping your dog safely under control. Wait until they finish before moving close to collect the waste.

The location makes it inconvenient

A flowerbed, another person's lawn, a crowded path or loose gravel beside someone's legs is a reason to redirect. This is a management decision, not evidence of a behavioural disorder. Choose a more suitable toileting route where you can, and be ready with a familiar cue.

Your dog appears uncomfortable or damages their paws

Stop access to the rough surface and contact your vet if scratching is associated with sore, damaged or bleeding pads or nails. Do not try to solve an injury by repeatedly practising the behaviour on a different surface.

If the pattern becomes unusually frequent, difficult to interrupt or very different from normal, note the context and discuss it with your vet or a qualified reward-based behaviour professional. The movement alone cannot establish anxiety or compulsion.

Teach a useful “let's go” routine

Practise away from the busy toilet spot first. A new cue is much harder to learn while your dog is already occupied with an interesting scent.

1. Start in a quiet place. Say your chosen walking cue once and take a small, inviting step.
2. Reward joining you. Mark and reward your dog for turning towards you and moving alongside, with the lead comfortable rather than tight.
3. Repeat in easy moments. Use short opportunities during normal walks before expecting the cue to work around strong distractions.
4. Use it after toileting is finished. Invite your dog away from a vulnerable patch before a long scratching sequence develops.
5. Reward the next useful action. Walking with you or standing calmly while you collect waste gives your dog something clear to do.

If your dog does not respond, do not shout the cue repeatedly or jerk the lead. Make the next practice easier and manage the route meanwhile. The goal is a comfortable transition, not a contest over who leaves first.

Protect paws and shared spaces

• Check the intended toilet area for sharp debris, rough edges and surfaces likely to scatter into people.
• Keep waste bags ready so cleanup does not become a long period of waiting beside a busy path.
• Keep children clear of the dog's kicking space and let an adult manage the lead and collection.
• On your own property, choose a practical area that is safe for your individual dog rather than assuming any mulch or gravel is suitable.
• Review the setup after gardening, building work or a change in walking route.

Paw care should fit the dog. There is no need to add a balm or protective boot simply because they ground-scratch. Ask your vet about existing soreness rather than relying on a product to make repeated rough-surface scratching safe.

Common mistakes

• Leaving poo behind because the dog has kicked grass towards it.
• Calling the behaviour a dominance problem based on one movement.
• Pulling the dog away before they have finished toileting.
• Standing directly behind the kicking feet.
• Trying to teach a new cue for the first time in a highly distracting spot.

Frequently asked questions

Is my dog trying to bury their poo?

Not necessarily. Ground-scratching is generally discussed as communication, and the kicks often do not cover the waste.

Do female dogs kick the ground too?

Yes. It is not limited to male dogs, and individuals vary in how often they do it.

Should I stop every instance?

No. Consider the surface, other people, property damage and your dog's comfort. Redirect when the circumstances make it necessary.

What if my dog only does it in one place?

Record what is different about that location, such as other dogs, familiar routes or interesting smells. The pattern may help with management, but it does not prove a particular emotional cause.

Make the next walk easier

Choose a suitable toilet stop, give your dog space and practise a calm departure cue elsewhere. You can respect normal canine behaviour while still protecting paws and leaving shared ground clean.

Sources

• PetMD: veterinary behaviour explanation of ground-scratching
• American Kennel Club: managing ground-scratching
• Dogs Trust: reward-based training

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