Why Do Dogs Do a ‘Potty Dance’ Before They Poop?

If dogs are good at one thing, it’s putting on a show. From barking for their dinner to bolting for the door the minute they hear the word “walk,” our pups seem to do everything with a furry little attitude. That even goes for acts that most of us would consider private — like, for example, taking a poo. 

Have you ever noticed those little maneuvers many dogs do before popping a squat? Some twirl in a little circle like ballerinas. Some switch sides a few times, as if they’re looking for the best possible view. And some sniff and snuffle at the ground as though they’re trying to inhale the dirt. Whatever your dog does, there’s a name for it: the potty dance. It’s not exactly a waltz, but it does often look choreographed. And whatever your dog’s specific steps might look like, they do serve a purpose.

As with so many of the bizarro things our dogs do, the main question we’re all likely asking is: why? To get to the bottom of this behavior, I spoke with board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Sueda, owner of Karen Sueda Veterinary Behavior, Inc. about what the “potty dance” looks like, and why so many dogs do it.

“I'm sure there’s as many different potty dances as there are dogs,” Dr. Sueda says, and the reasons behind them are likely just as diverse.

What does the “potty dance” look like?

As Dr. Sueda points out, the “potty dance” will entirely depend on the dog.

“There’s definitely dogs that are scent oriented,” Dr. Sueda says, “so they might be sniffing for a particular spot — you know, head down, sniffing a location.” Some particularly coordinated pooches might walk or spin in circles before eliminating. And others might do it in a zigzag as they try to find juuust the right spot.

Whatever steps go into your pup’s poo-poo boogie, they might depend on why your dog is “dancing” in the first place.

Why do our dogs do this?

More often than not, the answer to questions like these is something along the lines of, “We don’t really know.” But in this case, we do at least have some idea, even if we’re not 100 percent sure. 

According to Dr. Sueda, dogs have more reasons for dropping a deuce than we do. Sometimes, they do it to eliminate waste, but in other cases, it can be a form of communication not unlike “marking” things with their urine. (Although that said, Dr. Sueda notes, marking via urination is more common.) A few possible reasons for your dog’s waddling can include:

They’re sniffing out prime real estate.

Some dogs are pickier than others in choosing where to construct their log cabins. As Dr. Sueda puts it, “They want to find, in their mind, the best spot to poop on.” And as we know, our dogs always follow their noses.  

If your dog ceaselessly sniffs before pooping, Dr. Sueda says, “They may be trying to get olfactory information about that location.” That can include how many dogs have been there before, how many have pooped, and whether the toilet has been, erm, “flushed,” so to speak. 

“Just like we don't want to use an unflushed toilet, if there's too much traffic in a certain area, dogs may try to find some place that's a little bit cleaner, and that's understandable,” Dr. Sueda says. “If they were out in the wild, they wouldn't want to defecate in areas where they might pick up parasites from other dogs.” Anyone who avoids going number two in public restrooms can surely empathize.

They want to leave their mark in a hot spot.

Some dogs might want to boldly “go” where no pooch has gone before, but others are all about scouting out the most popular pooping spots. Because some dogs like to mark with their poop, Dr. Sueda says, it’s possible that your dog actually wants to do some business in a heavily trafficked area — as long as there aren’t too many stinky “land mines” around.

They’re scouting for safety.

No one likes getting caught with their pants down, and even if our dogs don’t wear trousers, they share our figurative fear of getting ambushed while on the can. If your dog tends to do a lot of circling and looking around the vicinity before doing the deed, chances are they want to make sure they’ve found a secure spot before committing to this most vulnerable act. 

“For a similar reason to why dogs sometimes circle around before they lie down,” Dr. Sueda says, “they may actually be trying to ensure that that spot is a safe, comfortable, level location before they do their business there.”

They’re… trying to face north or south, apparently.

Before we get too far into this one, it’s worth noting that the research is not unanimous. Still, this one’s a fascinating possibility to consider if nothing else: Does magnetism guide our dogs’ pooping habits?

Back in 2014, researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague found that dogs preferred to poo “aligned along the North-South axis under calm [magnetic field] conditions.” Meanwhile, when the magnetic field was in flux, “this directional behavior was abolished.” In the immortal words of a widely memed song from a bygone era, “F***ing magnets — how do they work?!”

But as delightful as it might be to consider that our dogs can find true north by unburdening their bowels, Dr. Sueda notes that more recent research has not always aligned with those initial findings. “So, I think directionality may be an area of future research.” Calling all scientists: If you’re reading this and decide to pursue it, please keep me posted.

Is the “potty dance” ever a bad thing?

I know what you’re thinking: How could any dance be a bad thing? Usually, that logic would apply here. Still, there are a couple symptoms to watch out for. 

Signs that your dog’s potty dance could be a sign of deeper issues include:

• Overt signs of pain, like crying or whining

• Changes in fecal consistency, like excessive softness or mucus

• Signs of constipation, like straining without eliminating or walking in circles for a prolonged period of time

• Blood in stool 

And as with so many aspects of doggy stewardship, it’s also helpful to know what your dog’s version of normal looks like. “If your dog’s potty dance changes, or it seems different,” Dr. Sueda says, “that may be an indication that there’s something physical and medical going on.”

If you’re feeling concerned about your dog’s poo, Dr. Sueda says, your best option is to document the offending stool with a photo or, better yet, a video. As gross as we civilians might find it, your veterinarian will thank you. No matter how good we might be at churning out sparkling prose, the old saying holds true: “A picture (or video) is worth 1,000 words.”