Dog Scooting - Time for Action

Dog Scooting is unlikely to be a sign of worms.  This strange dog behavior is more likely to be the dog trying to clear his Anal Glands.
These are two small glands situated at about 8 and 4 o'clock on either side of the anus.  These glands produce a substance which is squeezed onto the faeces during and after each bowel movement giving a dogs' unique signature.  When these dog anal sacs get blocked, it's time for action.

Not the most pleasant aspect of being a loving dog owner.  Your sweet dog, relies on you to be attentive to his needs, most of them extremely pleasant! Fortunately most dogs never experience this problem.  In fact the cause of impacted anal sacs is primarily due to diet.

Dogs in the wild have a totally different diet which causes their stools to be hard and this forces the anal glands to work more efficiently.  Our small dog breeds enjoy a modern diet, their faeces are not hard enough to press against the anal sacs which releases the necessary liquid to keep the anal glands functioning.

This strange dog behavior is a health issue and is not behavioral, therefore there is no modification to your dog's behavior that is required, but rather the unpleasant job of manually clearing the anal glands.  If the glands are not emptying naturally the thin brown liquid becomes very thick and will become a very painful and a potential health risk.  Bacteria builds up and an abcess can form which would need surgical intervention.

You need to arm yourself with gloves, towel and a mask (as the process produces a very strong and unpleasant smell).  Squeeze on either side of  the inside of the anus from  8 o'clock and 4 o'clock position up towards three and nine o'clock positions. This will have to be repeated 3 times a day, until your dog shows signs of improvement.  If you just cannot do this, then you have to go to your vet or a well trained dog groomer experienced in this task.    

 Other reasons for dog scooting

Add fibre to your little angel's diet.

Other dog behavior related Articles:

Pack Behavior - Training ABC 

Basic Dog Training - Education is Key

Puppy Potty Training - Your first Gift to your Dog 

Dog Behavior Training - Dogs will be Dogs

Dog Poop Eating - What's for Desert

Dog Wetting - Pleased to meet you!

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