It’s important for a dog to socialize with other dogs. These shared moments allow them to teach one another behaviour, such as scratching the ground which, according to one theory, lets a dog leave their scent behind. As they scratch, a dog secretes pheromones, a chemical substance created by the glands underneath the pads of their paws, which other dogs will pick up.
Why does your dog scratch the ground?
On your daily outings, you notice your 4-legged companion eagerly scratching the ground. There’s no reason to be concerned as this can be explained by several factors:
1. Your dog simply wants to leave their mark so that other dogs will recognize their unique odour.
2. Your dog is hot and digging buried layers of soil to cool them down.
3. Your dog is seeking to retrieve an object they’ve smelt.
4. Your dog wants to burn off some energy and scratching is their idea of fun.
Is your dog trying to bury their urine?
When you take your dog out to do their business, you’ve noticed they tend to scratch the ground as if they want to bury their urine. In fact, they’re not trying to bury anything but instead seeking to mark their territory to keep other animals from moving in on their turf.
Why does your dog also scratch in their bed?
Before having a snooze or turning in for the night, your dog tends to scratch their bed and circle around themselves? Your dog may just be wanting to make their bed. Congratulations! You’ve done a good job bringing them up. Joke aside, like most dogs, your pet probably just wants to make sure that nothing will disturb their sleep and that there’s no danger close by.
Hopefully you’re now reassured that your dog is totally normal!