We got Lexi this summer, so this is our first winter with her. She loves the cold and rolling around in the snow, so we were happy to see that behavior, but there is one problem we didn’t see coming. Whenever she does her business (both one and two) she insists they be done in or around organic matter, grass, or ground detritus. The big problem that winter has caused is that all of those perfect places are covered with snow, so poor Lexi’s choices for location are severely limited.
When she has to go, she sniffs “here” and “there”, and then back to “here” again, then still not satisfied, she moves on to sniff another place. About the only spots with organic matter left are right beside the house where there isn’t much snow, or like in the photo beside the road where the grader has stirred up some grass that was under the snow.
Back and forth she goes trying to find the right spot eventually she lowers her expectations and does her business, but I don’t think it’s entirely satisfactory to her. Luckily she quickly forgets and scrambles on to explore the winter world.
She also has a couple of other peculiar habits concerning pooping and peeing. After she performs, she takes a couple of steps away then begins kicking backward furiously. The other thing we find a bit strange is how she always turns her back to us when she poops. I guess she is shy.
Check out my paintings: davidmarchant2.ca
Trying to hide any evidence she has been there so the next "wolf" by won't know where to find exactly her with the scent. Another thought is trying to spread her "marking" around. All of our female dogs have "marked" like males do , their territory.
ReplyDeleteOf all the dogs we have had this one we have now does it almost every time and with all four feet some times.
She grew up around a pit bull that did the same thing vigorously and with both feet every time he peed or pooped around here. We called him scuffy...but we didn't own him he just passed through. The first time scared the life out of me , worrying he would kill our new 6wk old puppy, but he mainly ignored her and later on after she got bigger she would bump him when he came by and she does the bump to us now as a greeting or people who come by ...she bumps them with her shoulder as greeting and just keeps on going. Like he treated her when she was young.