Why Do Dogs Scoot Their Butts On The Carpet?

You just finished cleaning up on a Sunday afternoon, and you’ve settled in on the couch to catch up on Love is Blind. Your tea is perfect. Your blanket is cozy. All is right until, suddenly, there they go — your dog is dragging their brown eye back and forth across your freshly vacuumed rug. If you’re sitting there wondering, “Why does my dog scoot their butt on the carpet?” you should know there probably is a good reason. They’re not just doing it to ruin your zen afternoon or your clean rug, vet experts say.

Why does my dog scoot their butt on the carpet?

A dog dragging butt can be cute and funny, but it’s also frustrating and kind of gross if it’s happening a lot. Well, trust and believe your dog is frustrated by the whole thing, too. In fact, they’re doing the drag to try and relieve themselves.

“There are a variety of reasons your dog may scoot. The most common reason is anal gland issues,” says Dr. Carly Fox, senior veterinarian in the emergency and critical care services at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. “This can mean your dog’s anal glands are full, impacted, or even in the beginning of an anal gland infection. They also commonly scoot due to underlying food allergies, worms, or residual fecal material in the perianal area.”

In rare cases, some dogs will scoot on the carpet due to a more serious issue, like a mass or growth around the area.

How to get your dog to stop scooting

If you want to get your pup to quit it once and for all, you’ll obviously need to find out the cause and resolve that issue for them. That means starting with a vet appointment to figure out what’s bothering them. Having their anal glands expressed regularly, either at your vet’s office or by a groomer, is usually the first step in troubleshooting scooting in dogs, Fox says. You can also try an over-the-counter supplement called Glandex, she says, which bulks up your pet’s poops to help them naturally express their glands themselves.

If expressing their glands doesn’t help, you should make an appointment with your vet to investigate other possible causes for scooting. And if your dog is scooting so much they can’t settle, have made the area red or irritated, have anal swelling, or are straining to poop, don’t wait to get them in to their vet.

“If your dog is scooting due to allergic disease, make sure to see your vet or a veterinary dermatologist to address this. Allergies are often a lifelong problem in dogs, just like in people,” says Fox. “If your dog is scooting due to intestinal parasites, you can drop off a fecal sample at your primary care vet and, if needed, treat with appropriate anti-parasitic medications. Remember, monthly flea, tick, and heartworm medications often also treat for common worms in dogs.”

So sure, while maybe your dog is disturbing the peace with their little booty scooting spectacle, know that they just need some help alleviating their discomfort. You’ll both be much happier when they can put their scootin’ days behind them.