Human thighs and the area around the buttocks make it challenging to clean without wiping. Dogs, on the other hand, don’t have buttocks and their sphincter actually retracts, keeping their bottoms mostly clean. A manufactured kind of hygiene is wiping with paper or wipes. Humans are far more physically conscious of our own cleanliness, and we are horrified by our waste, which is strange because no other living thing has the same level of loathing for its own waste as humans do. Some individuals think that dogs clean themselves of feces by licking their behinds or scooting their butts across the ground. However, due to feces, dogs don’t actually scoot their butts on the ground. Anal glands in a dog’s bottom produce foul discharges. This creature uses these secretions to indicate its territory. These fluids can occasionally be thick and irritate the dog’s behind. A dog will therefore scoot over the floor in an effort to calm down. The same holds true for dogs that lick their behinds. The dog is probably attempting to get rid of an infection in the anal glands.
The presence of tapeworms may also be the cause of your dog’s bottom-scooting behavior. Take your dog to the vet if you think they may have tapeworms. The simplest remedy is typically a tablet that the veterinarian can prescribe for your dog to consume. It makes reasonable that your dog is scooting and attempting to get rid of the tapeworms because nobody likes them. Even while your dog typically doesn’t need to wipe himself down, occasionally you might have to do it for him. A dog’s fur may become trapped with feces, which can irritate them and lead to bad hygiene. This can be fixed by buying dog wipes from one of the many retailers, such Tushee Wipes.
Should you wipe a dog’s behind?
Of course, there will be instances where cleaning your dog’s buttocks is a must, especially if there are sanitary concerns.
While some dogs will occasionally need assistance wiping, you usually don’t have to. Dog feces often fall out and away from the anus smoothly, leaving no mess behind.
If any mess is left behind, it will typically go soon as your dog starts moving around and moving faster.
Like my French Bulldog, your dog could occasionally get messy and be unable to clean themselves. Other times it will be necessary, but it won’t happen very often, unless your dog has long, wild hair on its bottom that hasn’t been cut.
When feces collect under the tail, you should wipe your dog’s rear at other times when it won’t be as visible.
The occasional tail lift and check is necessary if you want a sanitary and clean dog in your home, potentially on your furniture and bed, and you won’t always see it. A butt check should be sufficient once per week.
Why do people need to wipe? whereas, dogs don’t.
One of the world’s foremost cognitive ethologists, Marc Bekoff is an emeritus professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is also a Guggenheim Fellow and co-founder, along with Jane Goodall, of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed by Bekoff (opens in new tab) is his most recent book (New World Library, 2013). This essay is an adaptation of one that was published in Psychology Today’s Animal Emotions section by Bekoff. He wrote this piece for Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights on LiveScience.
Due to a recent study that revealed canines line themselves up with the Earth’s magnetic field when they urinate and defecate, peeing and pooping postures in relation to a dog’s orientation have lately made headlines. This unexpected discovery sparked a lot of curiosity around the world. People sent me emails that ranged from being quite serious to being downright obscene.
Some people were inspired by this discovery and started observing dogs in dog parks to see whether there was a pattern in how they positioned themselves when they urinated or defecated. Results were almost 50/50. I warned them that they probably needed more control over the environment to make an appropriate assessment because dogs exhibit a strong desire to orient themselves to the location of another dog or dogs when they are grouped together, either supporting or disputing the recent discovery. This was demonstrated by earlier study I had done on dog urinating and scent marking.
More recently, I was drawn to a conversation in New Scientist magazine titled “The bottom of everything,” which started with an intriguing observation and a number of queries. Are there anatomical reasons for this as non-human animals don’t use toilet paper (and the ones I’ve seen don’t seem to need it)? If that is the case, why does human anatomy differ from that of large apes? Have we lost some anatomical trait that we formerly had because of the creation of toilet paper and any technologies that came before it?
Tony Holkham, who resides in Boncath, Pembrokeshire, U.K., and Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, U.K.’s Christine Warman each offered two responses.
As noted by Warman in the article, “Despite having a large portion of great apes’ DNA, humans and these primates differ significantly anatomically, most notably in our upright posture. This allows us to walk tall and hands-free, but it also comes with a cost: our backs and joints start to hurt, and getting rid of our waste is harder overall. The main issue is that we are more likely than other animals to foul themselves since the area used for discharging pee and feces is constricted between the thighs and buttocks. We also behave differently from other animals when it comes to how we react to own waste, which is typically met with revulsion. This appears to be a result of us coexisting in towns rather than roving the wilderness, where we could leave our trash in the wake of us. We are able to learn when and where it is appropriate to excrete, unlike other primates.”
Holkham provides some intriguing perspectives as well. He claims, “The ability to clean oneself has developed in wild animals, especially carnivores whose feces include materials that diseases find appealing. Just observe cats “playing the cello,” as they are known to do, to realize how skilled they are at grooming their behinds. Until their offspring are strong enough to do it themselves, parents will clean their young. Adult animals will also groom one another, establishing social ties in the process.”
He also documents, “We have carefully bred domesticated animals, which is a different situation. Because he is too short and stocky in the body, my dog, for example, cannot clean his hind quarters; we must check to see if he is clean after he has feces. In a similar vein, sheep require routine inspections due to their inability to maintain their own cleanliness due to their physical makeup. Numerous species, including humans, have modified their front legs to function as hands for self-care. An evolutionary adaptation would have been the utilization of plant material to clean the anal region. In Roman times, vegetable matter was replaced with a sponge on a stick, and more recently, with paper.”
We are defined by “the bottom” issues. In terms of “the bottom,” we are indeed exceptional, but not in many other respects. However, being tall has drawbacks.
After a poop, should you wipe your dog’s butt?
Puppy love is so soft and sweet. Despite how adorable and cuddly they are, they occasionally have a tendency to go horribly wrong. Puppies who are learning to take care of themselves may require some help as they mature. Your puppy might develop a poopy bottom if his fur is long. He might even tread in his own poop a few times before walking away from it until he realizes where he belongs in his new surroundings. If you want to keep your home tidy, it will be essential to clean him up before letting him inside.
Dog’s Perspective
Poop that has been left on your dog’s skin and in his fur might itch and irritate him. Your puppy is usually quite content after going potty. Your biggest issue may be getting him to calm down long enough to be cleaned up because he can be enthusiastic and hopping around.
The Quick Bath Method
Choose whether you’ll give your puppy a bath in a bathtub or a sink. Consider where he fits best and which makes it easier for you to reach his backside if you only need to wipe his bottom.
Put peanut butter on the tub or sink’s side. While you concentrate on the unpleasant process of cleaning your dog’s behind, this will keep your dog’s front end occupied. Apply just enough pressure to keep him occupied while you scrub his bottom.
Just enough warm water to cover his feet and your washcloth should be added to the sink or bathtub. You don’t have to fill it all the way to the bottom.
Put your dog in the water with his back to you. He should become interested in the peanut butter and remain busy long enough to be cleaned up.
Wet his bottom with your washcloth and yours. If his fur is lengthy, a fine-toothed comb may be required to comb through the matted, poop-filled fur.
Wipe the excrement from your puppy’s bottom gently in a circle. Once you’ve cleaned as much as you can, use a comb to remove any poop that may still be embedded in his fur.
After washing your little one, take him out of the sink or bathtub and let him dry. Given that he consumed a significant amount of peanut butter while in the bath, you might wish to give him a tiny treat at the conclusion.
The Wet wipes Method
If you can position your puppy such that you can reach his behind after he has completed doing his business, you’ll be able to wipe him more effectively. Stretch your puppy’s body out so that his back is visible and simple to reach, then place his front paws on something sturdy, such a chair seat. Put your tiny guy on the seat with his front paws on the top of the chair back if he is small.
Keep your hands clean and stay away from his other potty spots. You might be able to remove this poop with one or two wipes if it is still fresh.
If the excrement is older and has dried, cleaning him up can require a few wipes, more water, or dog shampoo. For this dirtier wipe, you might want to wear gloves.
You might find the process more enjoyable if you wear gloves. Use a moist washcloth to wet your dog’s bottom if the excrement has dried in his fur. Keep your little one in place so you can see his bottom completely. So that it doesn’t accumulate more when he uses it again, make sure the area is clean. To make pooping easier for you both, think about trimming the lengthy fur in this area.
After your child has been cleaned up and is poop-free, cut the fur around his bottom to prevent poop from becoming stuck there again. You can also seek in your neighborhood pet store for a leave-in conditioning spray that you can use every day to spritz on his bottom. This will maintain the skin’s softness and make wiping every time he goes simpler.
Caution & Considerations
- Consider wiping your puppy after each poop so that he is always clean. In this manner, the feces won’t dry out and create a greater mess.
- Make sure his tail is clean under there too by checking. You might not see any excrement if you only look at the area on the underside of his tail.
- Your dog’s hiney may itch and irritate if poop is left there.
- Wiping may not be sufficient if poop is left on the skin for an extended period of time; you may need to bathe him.
- Although only a small quantity of water may be required for a bath to remove poop, letting your puppy sit in the water might assist soften or loosen the poop for simpler cleaning. This soaking could also help remove excrement from his fur.
- Pseudocoprostasis, a disorder that develops when there is so much excrement built up in the fur that the dog can no longer go because the area is blocked, is present in many rescue dogs from poor situations.
- If your puppy is scooting across the carpet or floor, you can tell that his bottom needs more than just the regular daily wiping.
Conclusion
Puppies are frequently too busy to pause and wipe. They may require your assistance wiping. Others disregard their need for wiping or fail to notice it. Just remember to take regular showers and pay attention to any indications that your child might require assistance getting his behind clean. By doing this, you can maintain your home tidy and keep him smelling nice.
Grooming Questions & Answers
Welcome, H. Melinn Being a groomer, I don’t feel competent to respond to a query regarding a 4 week old dog who is experiencing digestive issues. Little Liie is still a small child, therefore I believe the best course of action would be to ask your veterinarian for guidance in order to be on the safe side. Your veterinarian can offer you a solution and suggestions to make sure Liie stays healthy. Hope everything goes well!
Add a comment to Liie’s experience
Is it safe to regularly clean our puppy with warm water? If daily wiping is acceptable, should we add anything, such as lavender oil, or is simply plain water sufficient? Thanks!
Hello, The thought of wiping Odie every day would not frighten me. Your dog isn’t getting too muddy yet, in my opinion. However, I would suggest using plain water if you do feel it is required. I advise against including lavender oil. You may also get soft puppy wipes to clean Odie off. The most crucial thing is to avoid getting a chill. Dry Odie completely and wipe in a warm environment. Daily brushing will also be quite effective in keeping the coat clean. Odie has the finest luck and best wishes!
