 The Short Answer is: |
There are several reasons why your dog walks while pooping, including muscle atrophy, habits, food allergies, emotions, and diet. |
In this article you will know the answer to the query “Why Your Dog Walks And Poops At the Same Time“.
As dogs are almost like children for most of us they can take us on an emotional rollercoaster.
The majority of the time they make us go “ahhh” with their innocence and unconditional love. Sometimes they refuse to listen to us (yet again). At other times they make us go “uuurgh what the heck?” with some of their weird habits.
Recently you may have noticed your dog walking and pooping causing you to have a “what the heck?” moment.
Its still important to know why your dog walks and poops at the same time regardless of how some people feel about it. Our goal is to help you figure out why your dog walks while pooping and perhaps prevent it from happening in the future.
Many people find it funny and do not mind their pets doing it but it may not just be a habit that they picked up it may be a sign of serious intestinal problems.
In any case lets find out why your dog walks and poos at the same time.
Why does an old dog poop while walking?
In the first place I’d like to look at why old dogs poop while walking.
My old dog suffers from this condition as a result of aging.
Muscle Atrophy
My dog like many others lacks the strength to stand still (or posture) and poop. Holding that position requires a lot of strength if you think about it.
Because gravity helps them more it becomes easier for them to walk and poop.
They lose muscle strength as they age and at the same time their nerves also begin to fade which causes them to be unable to feel as well as they once did so defecating is a surprise to older dogs.
My old dog Bump can hold poop in her mouth when she is on grass. While walking on a stony path or concrete sidewalk she will do all her pooping while walking.
Here I discuss a very similar issue (bowel control) but I think age-related muscle atrophy is slightly different.
Following my discussion of why an old dog might be doing it I will discuss why it might be happening to all dogs.
A new article that I just wrote goes into a lot more detail about why old dogs walk and poop at the same time.
Six other reasons that your dog walks while pooping
Often the reason why your dog is walking and pooping is a quick fix or at least something that should not make you too concerned.
Some solutions are as straightforward as a diet while others may require surgery.
Please schedule an appointment with your local vet if after reading this article you are still concerned or if the walking and pooping habit persists.
Marking
Your dog marking his territory is one of the most common and understandable reasons for pooping while walking. It is well known that animals use their urine and feces to mark their territory and avoid other animals so this is nothing new.
When you’re walking your dog they may do the walking poop because they smell another animals scent and want to lay down their own without making themselves vulnerable by standing still. The anus of your dog is surrounded by scent glands. These scent glands emit a musky smell whenever your dog moves.
By smelling musky your dog is able to identify itself and communicate with other dogs. As a result of walking the musky scent is intensified leaving a more dominant aroma behind. When your dog poos while walking you can easily train him to do otherwise by training him to sit while pooping with continuous effort and lots of treats.
Habits
It is also possible that your dog walks while pooping because of habits. There are a number of habits they may have picked up during their puppyhood. When not treated properly excited puppy bladders can turn into submissive urination.
Most of us have been peed on by an excited baby animal whether it was a kitten or a puppy but most others grow out of it with time. Although most dogs grow out of an excited puppy bladder without proper training and excited puppy bladder can turn into submissive urination and defecation. Dogs that poop and pee when they see another dog or when you come home may be submissive.
You can easily overcome this by implementing a different routine punishments rewards and so on. The problem may also be a result of a habit they picked up from a previous owner or diet which again can be easily addressed with the right approach.
Emotions
It has already been noted that emotions play a large part in whether your dog relieves itself. It is more common in small or adolescent dogs but anxiety can also cause walking poop. The cause of these abnormal bathroom habits may be anxiety but excitement could also be to blame.
Exercise and emotions may work together to loosen your dogs bowels as the walking may be done while they are walking on their stomach while the emotions loosen the anus. While your scared pet may do a walking poop to avoid nearby animals approaching them your excited dog may do a deuce to empty their stomach so they can run faster and jump higher. There is a range of emotions that can cause your dog to poop while walking. Another solution to this problem is behavior training.
Bowel control
Rather than your dogs fault this is more of a medical issue. Dogs of any age or breed can suffer from a lack of bowel control which is quite common in older and younger dogs. Intestinal problems can be caused by illness poor diet injury or disease. Symptoms of poor bowel control aside from a walking poop include gas diarrhea vomiting and scooting.
There are a number of underlying issues that may be causing poor bowel control in your dogs such as parvo muscle atrophy and parasites. Your dogs diet may also be contributing to its feces being discolored due to upset stomachs. Your dogs poop and pooping habits should be made easier by a diet rich in protein and fiber. It is best to take your dog to a veterinarian so they can be assessed diagnosed and treated if they have trouble controlling their bowels.
Diet
It may be their diet thats causing their inability to control when and where they poop although its a fairly common cause.
It is possible for your dog to walk and poop at the same time due to an incorrect and unbalanced diet both of which can cause constipation or diarrhea.
In order to put pressure on their bowls your dog may need to walk while pooping if constipated. If your dog has diarrhea then it may walk and poop because it can not control it.
At the risk of going off on a tangent the consistency of your dogs stool should be like play-dough. A dogs poop is an indicator of its overall health based on its shape color and consistency.
A stool that is either too soft or too firm will make your dog uncomfortable possibly cause pain and cause them to walk and poop.
A quick look on the Internet will soon demonstrate that the ideal dogs diet is a highly contentious issue!
However the ingredients should be of the highest quality you can afford and should contain water proteins fats carbohydrates minerals and vitamins.
Food Allergies
Your dog might have a food allergy if his stools are too hard or too soft causing him to walk and poop.
Dogs can develop food allergies at any time even if they have been eating the same food for years.
In addition they are exceedingly hard to test for because you have to test for each allergen individually.
We had a Golden Retriever with food intolerance and no matter what dried food we bought (and we tried every top brand over a period of a year) she would consistently get diarrhea.
The only way we were able to get things under control was to switch her diet to include raw meat.
Although it is hard to estimate what percentage of dogs suffer from food allergies we can be fairly certain that chicken beef and dairy products are the most common allergens. What about chicken and beef? Dogs are not vegetarians! You’re right.
Two reasons that dogs walk in circles while pooping
While some dogs poop while walking others seem to walk round and round in circles before finding the perfect spot to poop.
Whats the reason for this?
Marking Territory
Therefore we have already discussed this.
While some dogs may poop as they walk (in a fairly straight line) because they are marking their territory other dogs may do this by walking around in circles a few times.
Preparing the ground
When dogs are trying to poop they do not just pace in circles. They also walk in tight circles before they go to sleep on a dog bed.
The circling is a way of preparing the ground making sure it is a safe and comfortable place to sleep or poop!
What to do about your dogs walking poop
Its fairly common for dogs to poop while walking as we said. Many of the issues can be fixed with some basic behavior training or a diet change but its still important to realize that there may be an underlying issue behind this funny habit.
We are not telling you to rush your pet to the ICU but we are alerting you to the possibility that walking poop could be the cause. Keep an eye out for any problems your pet has as identifying them early could save their lives. If there are any additional issues such as diarrhea a bloated abdomen gas vomiting or inconsistent feces patterns please consult your veterinarian. The purpose of this article was to explain to you why your dog walks and poops at the same time not to scare you.
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.
