Scratching Up Dirt

No other dogs I've had have done this behavior. None of the dogs we had growing up did this and none of the dogs I've had as an adult...until Bella. Nearly every time she eliminates, she'll walk a pace or two forward and scratch up the earth. Why?

Initially my guess was to cover the spot where she'd gone. Yet I had seen a program on dogs and part of it covered (no pun intended) their urination habits. The one bit I remember most distinctly was about a little Jack Russell, who in his attempt to pee higher up the post (proving he was the BIG dog on campus), would stand on his front legs and hold his entire back end in the air while he peed. Now there's a dog with attitude!

It also occurred to me that cats rub against you not as a sign of affection, but to rub their scent on you. So perhaps dogs scratch up the earth to spread their scent and make a bigger spot designating "their territory."

Ah! The beauty of the search engine! I Googled it and found out I was correct. From the Purina One site, I found this answer:

The scratching behavior after elimination appears to be a marking behavior. Dogs have scent glands on their feet and not only will they leave a scent mark, but they also leave a visual mark when they engage in this behavior.

Dr. Horwitz, Veterinarian

Did she learn it from her mother? Her sister doesn't do it. Was it something her father did? In other words, is it inherited or learned or individual preference? From the little I've looked into it the behavior seems to be instinctual and elicited by the smell of other unknown dogs. (I will have to watch and see if she does this when she's with her buddies.)

All the other links said basically the same thing. Perhaps I could rent out Bella as an organic lawn thatcher, but then she'd have to drink an awful lot of water first!