Ever wonder about your dog's weird bathroom quirk? We asked a veterinarian and a dog behaviorist for answers. Prepare to be surprised!
Maybe I’m overly enamored with my dog, but I think everything he does is cute—even the way he poops. Tux, an 8-pound Yorkshire terrier mix, determinedly hunches and twirls in a circle or two before doing his business. I’ve seen other dogs doing a similar dance on our daily walks in the neighborhood, which raises the question: Why do dogs spin before they poop?
This intriguing canine conduct has piqued the interest of dog parents (and a few scientists) over the years. It’s a bit of a mystery, but Gary Richter, DVM, author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide, says “we certainly have some hypotheses.”
To learn more about this sometimes cute and always curious dog behavior, we spoke to Dr. Richter and Holly Molinaro, PhD, an animal behavior and welfare consultant. Keep reading to find out why dogs engage in this quirky routine before pooping.
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Do all dogs spin when they poop?
Not all dogs spin when they poop, but many do, according to Dr. Richter. “In my experience, it’s not breed-specific,” he says. “It’s an individual thing.”
Molinaro agrees that the circling habit depends on the individual dog. “Maybe some dogs had an older dog when they came into the family that did it, so then they learned to do it,” she says. “Or maybe they did it once and their owner reinforced it, like, ‘Oh, that was so cute. I love when you do that.'”
So why do dogs spin before they poop?
There hasn’t been much scientific research into the question of why dogs spin before they poop, so there are no definitive answers, according to Molinaro.
“Unfortunately, there’s not one answer,” she says. “It could be a lot of different answers. Science has not figured it out yet, so to any scientist reading this: It would be cool if you want to pick up this research project.”
Still, it’s natural to want to speculate. The following are possible reasons why dogs circle before pooping.
Marking territory
Dogs have scent glands in their paws, so they might be marking their territory by spreading their scent where they’re preparing to defecate, according to Molinaro.
“Something to do with scent is my No. 1 theory,” she says. “They are using so many smell receptors to find the perfect spot for them to leave their scent and leave their trace.”
Safety checks
Another reason why dogs spin before they poop could be the instinct to scan each direction for any potential threats before striking a somewhat vulnerable pose. For instance, my late poodle mix, Peach, would usually circle at least twice before committing to a bathroom break.
“Most likely this is a holdover from when wolves or early dog ancestors were forced to monitor for predators before getting into the potentially vulnerable position of pooping,” Dr. Richter says.
Molinaro adds: “Toy poodles might have more of a need to protect themselves when they’re outside, whereas a big German shepherd might just be like, ‘All right, I don’t really care about what’s around me. I just want to find a good spot.'”
Case in point: On a recent walk with little Tux, he started to circle but froze when he spotted a woman approaching with a small child and a chocolate Lab. He decided not to poop right then—opting instead to hold it for another block and a half until the coast was clear.
Comfort
It’s possible that some dogs circle before they poop simply to make sure there are no rocks, bugs, sticks or other impediments to their comfort. They might be flattening out the ground to create an ideal surface to poop on, Dr. Richter notes.
“This behavior is part of many dogs’ habit and routine, and [therefore], the behavior is comfortable for them,” he says. “Let’s also remember dogs similarly tend to spin around before they lay down as well, so the behavior is not specific to pooping. In this case, it is mostly likely about them creating a comfy spot to lay on—’making their bed,’ so to speak.”
Earth’s magnetic field
The hypothesis that raises the most eyebrows as to why dogs spin before they poop is that they are positioning themselves to face north or south due to the Earth’s magnetic field. Really? Really. (There are studies!)
In 2013, a study published in Frontiers in Zoology found that when the Earth’s magnetic field is calm, dogs tend to align their bodies on the north-south axis to poop. “There is no explanation of why that would in any way be beneficial to the dog, but it is intriguing that dogs may have an innate sense of the magnetic alignment of the Earth,” Dr. Richter says.
As a pet journalist, I remember when that study came out. My husband and I started watching to see if our Labrador retriever mix, Rio, would point north or south to poop on off-leash hikes near our Colorado home. Sure enough, he did every time—to our complete amusement and amazement. “This is crazy!” my husband would exclaim.
More recently, a 2025 study found that hunting dog breeds are most likely to align their bodies on the north-south magnetic axis to poop (a habit that decreases with age). So if you live with one of those popular breeds, you can conduct your own amusing experiment to see whether your dog faces north or south to poop.
What is the “perfect” spot, according to a dog?
The perfect spot to poop will depend on each individual dog, according to Molinaro.
“Maybe some dogs want a clean, fresh spot where they can leave their mark,” she says. “Maybe other dogs want to cover up some other dog’s mark or scent like, ‘No—I want to be here,’ or leave a scent for a potential mate or potential enemy. It depends on the dog.”
Is this spinning ever a cause for concern?
Normally, if a dog spins (or doesn’t spin) before they poop, there’s nothing to worry about. But if they deviate from their normal routine, pay attention. For instance, if a dog spins multiple times on a walk but doesn’t then defecate, they might be constipated.
“If they look like they’re going to poop and they don’t, that’s definitely a cause for concern—especially because animals can’t tell us how they’re feeling,” Molinaro says. “If animals aren’t going to the bathroom or they aren’t eating or drinking, something’s up.”
Whether your dog spins or not, anything out of the ordinary should raise a flag. “So if you notice, ‘My dog always spins around three times and poops and it’s starting to spin around and it’s not pooping,’ then that’s definitely a sign to call your vet,” she says.
Why do dogs also sniff before they poop?
The reason why dogs sniff before they poop is likely because they use their powerful noses to help navigate the world.
“It’s so hard for humans to comprehend how a dog views the world because they don’t rely on their eyes as much as we do,” Molinaro says. “Dogs really rely on their scents. So what might look like them scanning or circling might really be them following their nose [to] the perfect spot.”
Ultimately, it’s important to pay attention and try to understand your dog’s body language, from dog facial expressions to when your dog is about to spin and poop, according to Molinaro. “The one thing I always like to tell dog owners is to really get in tune with your own dog’s behavior.”
“I even recommend starting a little animal behavior journal—either on your Notes app on your phone or in an actual journal—and make notes of what your dog does,” she adds. “Become a little animal behaviorist for your own dog. I think that will only strengthen the bond between you and your pet.”
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on why dogs spin before they poop, Jen Reeder tapped her experience as a longtime pet journalist and former president of the Dog Writers Association of America. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Gary Richter, DVM, veterinarian, author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide and founder of Ultimate Pet Nutrition; interviewed, August 2025
- Holly Molinaro, PhD, animal behaviorist and co-author of “Barking Up the Wrong Tree: Human Perception of Dog Emotions Is Influenced by Extraneous Factors“; interviewed, August 2025
- Frontiers in Zoology: “Dogs are sensitive to small variations of the Earth’s magnetic field”
