Why Do Dogs Kick Their Feet After They Go to the Bathroom?

Top Three Google Search Questions About Dogs

               This week, I thought I would answer a few curious questions about dogs.  These are three of the most common Google internet searches about dogs.  Read on!   

               Why do dogs bury bones?  Dogs tend to have an instinct to hide or protect food for a future meal.  Ancestral dogs were scavengers and did not necessarily have a constant source of food.  Dogs would hide food for later use in times of low food supply.  Modern dogs do not need to worry about whether or not they will have a constant food source, but the instinct to protect their prized possessions remains.

How about those wet noses?  A dog’s nose is typically wet with a thin layer of mucus which can help a dog cool off by evaporation like sweat glands.  The moisture may also increase the dog’s sense of smell.  Discharge dripping from the nostrils could indicate an allergy, an infection or something within the sinus cavity such as a foreign body or tumor.  And by the way, if a dog’s nose is warm and dry, it does not necessarily mean he is sick.  The temperature and moisture of the nose fluctuates throughout the day and can be cool and moist one minute and warm and dry the next. 

Finally, why do some dogs kick their feet after they poop?  It looks kind of silly to us, but it does have a purpose.  Most dogs do this to mark the area with their scent from glands on their paws, but they may also be trying to cover their waste and their scent from other dogs. 

               So, there you have it.  Three mysterious dog behaviors explained!  They may not make much sense to us, but burying bones or toys and kicking up their heels after doing a number two are instinctual behaviors that really do have a purpose.  And those wet noses also have a purpose, even if it is just to make us smile!

This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding area.