Everyone is familiar with the scene. You are standing on the driveway in your boxers or bath robe with your dog, willing him to do “his business”. But he meanders and he sniffs, snubbing spot after spot. You can tell by the way he holds his tail or slightly hunches his back that he has to poop for sure, yet much to your chagrin, he continues to search for the perfect alignment of stars and planet to deposit his jewel.
So why does he care? Doesn’t it seem like any old poop spot would do? Maybe not.
Some studies have suggested that dogs pick their spot based on the magnetic field of the planet, but the theory could only be tested reliably on days when the magnetic field is calm (which equates to 20% of the time). 1 Dogs are certainly sensitive to things that we cannot consciously perceive, but it might even be simpler than that…or more complex.
Dogs use their waste to define and mark their territorial boundaries. These olfactory clues are obvious to other dogs. It is like leaving a Post-it note that says, “I was here.” Your dog might think that his note would be better noticed at one spot over another. He is also aware of the all the other “notes” left by other dogs and is using that information to decide where his mark would most stand out.
When a dog postures to defecate she feels very vulnerable (like we discussed in Why Does My Dog Stare At Me When He Poops) and her choice of site may be the area that feels the most defensible and safe to her.
As a puppy matures, under the influence of their mother and other dogs (and even your influence), he starts to learn what seems “right” to him for defecation. This inclination is called Substrate Preference. Basically what this means is, your puppy learned features to help him select where he likes to defecate based on cues from his mom and then you. If you rewarded him for pooping on the grass, he may develop a grass preference. The preference could be even more specific than that. He might learn that he likes grass that is a certain temperature, a certain height with a particular mix of shade and sun. Who can say for sure what mix of factors a puppy learns to associate with a positive reward?
Maybe it is in part the Earth’s magnetic field. Maybe its grass or dirt or a combination of both. As your dog’s guardian, you will have to accept that his tastes are his tastes and just be grateful that his poop spot preference is not your living room rug. So tie up your robe and grab your coffee. You might be here for a while.
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- Dogs are sensitive to small variations of the Earth’s magnetic field, Frontiers in Zoology2013 10:80 DOI: 1186/1742-9994-10-80© Hart et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2013. Vlastimil Hart,Petra Nováková,Erich Pascal Malkemper†,Sabine Begall†,Vladimír Hanzal,Miloš Ježek,Tomáš Kušta,Veronika Němcová,Jana Adámková,Kateřina Benediktová,Jaroslav Červený andHynek Burda
