Is your dog pooping against a tree or a wall? Do you wonder why?
Do not worry about yourself anymore. It is a natural instinctive action for a dog.
The scent left behind with the poop is to inform other dogs that your dog has passed that way.
Your dog may feel that a certain area on its everyday walk with you is its territory. Just remember to carry your poop scoop and your biodegradable garbage bag.
I will take you on a tour of why these actions are taken by our dogs. We may be embarrassed but our dogs are quite okay.
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Few Reasons Why Dogs Poop On Vertical Objects Like A Tree Or A Wall
Dr. Isabel Baerja said that her research has shown that fecal marking has many purposes.
The dog is informing other dogs that it is in the area.
The marker also gives information about your dog’s identity, mating status, and its ability to forage.
Dr. Isabel Barja, a zoologist, in her report, Animal Behavior, explained that this behavior is from the wild ancestors of our dogs, wolves.
Being out in the wild and having to fight off other creatures, they had to mark their territory.
Although many of our dogs do not resemble those fierce wolves, the behavior is passed down in their genes.
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Territory Marking
If your dog does not mark its territory, another dog may come up and fight with your dog over the territory. These markers are to help them gain acceptance in the community of animals.
We must remember that before mankind domesticated dogs, they were all wild. Deep inside of each pet dog is a wild animal with inbred instincts.
Alpha Female
This female dog is leaving a message on the vertical surface for male dogs. The message shares that she is in good health and ready to carry a litter as soon as she can connect with an alpha male.
We are also looking for healthy puppies. Therefore we seek dog owners with healthy dogs to aid us in our quest.
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The Height Of The Poop Helps The Scent Of Poop To Travel
The height of the poop on the vertical surface is very important for communication. This height assists the scent to be noticed by other dogs quickly.
Their noses are at the height of the poop. So your dog is working on a good plan to introduce himself to the other dogs which exercise in that area.
When your pet has its nose up in the air; it is sniffing out the competition or a possible mate.
Boring Poop Pattern Needs A Switch
Our dogs live to communicate with us in exciting ways. All dogs lovers are aware that dogs do not like to be ignored.
So they will do just about anything to attract our attention. Some dogs will poop and drag themselves as if cleaning themselves on the grass.
This is a way of spreading the scent of their body as far as possible to mark territory and to tell other dogs about their health.
Your pet may chase its tail for a few moments before choosing a spot to poop, then kick at it with its feet afterward. This again spreads the scent of your pet.
Can We Stop This Embarrassing Habit?
Yes, we can stop this embarrassing habit with daily training. We can time our dog and right after eating, take it outside and wait for it to poop away from vertical surfaces.
Give your dog verbal praise after it has pooped acceptably to you. Reward your dog with a toy and some playtime.
Put away your dog’s water dish a couple of hours before bedtime and do not play with your dog at night. This way he will go to sleep for the next seven hours.
You may also pour diluted vinegar over the poop area and your dog will not go there again as dogs do not like the smell.
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What Do You Think?
Having read my informative article, what do you think? Has this ever happened with your pet? Which particular item on my list made you stop and think?
Do tell me in the comments section of this article.
Did you enjoy reading this information? Is there any topic that I may have missed?
Feel free to share this information with a friend.
If you strongly feel we should allow our pets to do what comes naturally and instinctively, send your comments to me.
Further Readings:
- https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Understanding-Dog-Territorial-Marking
- https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/house-training-adult-dogs#1
Other Puppy Behavior & Training Related Topics
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3. 18 Great Ways To Challenge Your Dog’s Mind
4. Why American Foxhounds Are Hard To Train?
5. Why Does Your Doberman Pinscher Eat Grass?
6. Why Do Basenjis Howl?
2 thoughts on “Why Do Dogs Poop Against A Tree Or A Wall?”
I have a 4 month old male pitbull. He poops on my kitchen cabinets. He does not like pooping outside. He skittish. We’ll walk him, put him on a lead or just sit outside with him for an hour and he won’t poop until he goes inside
Hey Joe, that’s really interesting to know. I think the puppy might need some help on his potty training.