In this article you will know the answer to the query “Why does my dog poop so much on walks?“.
We do not usually discuss dog poop when it comes to our dogs and thats understandable.
Did you know that dogs in the U.S. produce more than ten million tonnes of poop annually?
In addition for individual dog owners it can be very difficult to clean up after their dog when they go for a walk.
When dogs go for walks why do they poop so much? This article should answer all your questions.
Why does my dog poop so much on walks?
The answer to this question involves answering two related but smaller questions.
What is the reason for my dogs frequent pooping?
There is an association between how much poo a dog produces and the quality of food he consumes.
“Filler” is a common component of commercial dog food. In dog food fillers are ingredients that add volume to the food but do not provide nutritional value. Fillers include fiber found in beans beet pulp and cornmeal.
In addition to adding to the volume of poop these ingredients have no nutritional value so they can not be digested by the body.
Heres a quick story I want to share with you.
The golden retrievers I own are mine. We switched our three Goldies from dry kibble to raw food about four years ago because the two youngest experienced frequent stomach upsets.
In addition to affecting their stomach upsets switching to a raw diet had a profound impact on their poop production.
Raw food reduced the amount of poop by at least half if not two-thirds.
I was dumbfounded by this change because I had never considered it before.
Their raw food does not have any filler in it and most of the nutrients are absorbed by their bodies thus reducing their need to poop.
Choose a high-quality food that contains less filler so that your dog will poop less on walks.
As a second question lets look at what makes dogs poop on walks in the first place.
Why do dogs poop in multiple spots?
There was an interesting statistic I heard the other day- in the UK there are currently nine million dogs.
It is the equivalent of one dog for every six people!
Therefore wherever you live and walk your dog there will be a large dog population.
There are many reasons why your dog poops.
There is of course the most obvious one: they need to go potty.
Stools are also used as a means of communication by dogs.
When your dog is on a walk he smells all of these other dogs.
In addition to pooping dogs also emit a unique scent from their anal glands.
They are identified by this and the poop acts as a marker that says “I have been here.”.
The marking also explains why after pooping your dog scratched the ground as they walked away.
By scratching your dog is leaving a scent on its paw which is where scent glands are located.
Because your dog is checking out what other dogs have done in an area it occasionally smells other dogs’ poop.
How to stop a dog pooping so much on a walk
The first thing you should do is make sure your dog is eating high-quality food with little filler.
In addition you can train your dog to poop in one place so that they will not poop so much on a walk.
How to get a dog to poop in one place
Did you know you could command your dog to go potty by verbal commands?
In order to achieve this you must be patient stay positive and know that it would not always work 100% of the time because nothing does.
Finding an ideal location is the first step and this can be quite a challenge.
Most of you will choose your garden or yard because it is the easiest and most logical choice.
Some of you will however have dogs that will not willingly poop outside their territory.
Consequently you will need to find a spot that is close to your home and where your dog is allowed to poop.
Taking your dog to the right place at the right time is the next step.
Most dogs will need to eat within 30 minutes to 1 hour after the last eating.
The timing should be right for most dogs so long as the timing is right.
Immediately after they have performed give them lots of verbal praise and a small treat.
If your dog does not go in this new location or simply stares at you blankly instead of sniffing around this location needs to be associated with pooping.
You can encourage your dog to do this by putting some of its excrement in the area and this should be enough to get them motivated!
As time goes on you can eliminate the treats and only give them verbal praise.
Dog poop starts solid than soft
During a walk many dog owners report that the consistency of their dogs poop can change from firm to soft or even runny within a few minutes.
It is common in dogs and it does not mean that your pet is suffering from a medical condition.
The problem can be attributed to a touch of excitement (or stress) on the part of your dog but it may also be a result of how poop is produced inside a dogs body.
See those firm stools you see at the start of a walk have been “ready to go” and waiting in your dogs body for a few hours.
You may see them after the digestive process has occurred overnight (if you are walking in the morning) or after the digestion process has occurred during the day (if you are walking in the evening).
In order for your dog to be able to eliminate its waste they are produced.
Those that come a little later in a walk have been produced by your dogs body far faster.
It isnot because your dog needs to get rid of the waste that they are created but rather because in their excitement they want to leave a message or scent for other dogs that they have “been here.”
If your dogs poop is diarrhea-like throughout rather than changing consistency during a walk then you should set up an appointment with your vet.
Why does my dog walk and poop at the same time?
Many dog owners are puzzled by another pooping-related behavior: why does their dog walk while pooping?
The reasons for this are many: scent marking and runny poop are among them.
My golden retriever who is 13 years old does it because the muscles in her back legs are strong enough to keep her seated while she poops.
However if you want to know more about why dogs walk while pooping I have written an article with six reasons.
Conclusion
Dogs that poop a lot while walking can be difficult to own for some owners particularly if there are no bins to dispose of the waste or if the waste is so soft that it is difficult to pick up.
Your best chance of success would be to look for dog food that contains a smaller amount of filler if this is a problem that you face every day.
You should see less poop coming out of your dog wherever you take them for a walk afterward
Amanda (Author)
With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.
Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)
Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.
