Cairns and pooping?

[Newman]

For some odd reason, fonzyy never EVER will poop infront of me, or whenever we are outside playing. But he wll always do it infront of my mom or whenever my mom is outside playing with him. He also acts alot more wildier infront of my mom and likes to break more rules, lol. Once he see's me he thinks "My Master has arrived! Time to get my bone and play!!!!!!" Does that have something to do with why he never poops infront of me? It's been almost 2 years since we got fonzy and I have only seem him poop ONCE. My mom seems him do it like everyday, I have no idea why.....

I wonder since I am his master he feels embarrassed or something if he did it infront of me? He is such a funny dog, lol. Any other cairns do this?

[cairnrescueleague]

a friend of mine once said - dogs have a highly developed sense of shame - i don't know if i'd go that far, but i have gotten the sense that some of them like their privacy - guess your mom doesn't count!

[Hillscreek]

I've never had a fenced in yard and always walk my dogs out on a leash to do their business. Every dog I've ever had turns away from me when they poop. I have learned to respect that and look the other way till they are done. Peeing - they don't care.

[pkcrossley]

i've noticed this with every dog i have had. i had a lhasa poo who only pooped under bushes. even on a leash, redmon will do the thing with turning away, like, please don't watch me. i think they feel very vulnerable when pooping, it is much more involving for them than peeing and they clearly feel that it would not be easy to run away or defend themselves in the middle of a poop. it may also be a hunter thing --anxious about how to conceal the evidence and not alert the prey, and the anxiety may translate into a sense of can-i-get-a-little-privacy. it is interesting that that they are the opposite of horses, who don't seem to even know they are pooping and do it while they are walking or running, but make a big deal about peeing (including preferring a little privacy). i think it is more evidence that it has to do with which is more vulnerable-making anatomically, and horses unlike dogs have no thought about concealing the traces.

Edited June 18, 2012 by pkcrossley

[Tuesday]

Murphy is a weird pooper too. He has to have his head under something, and down here in Florida I worry a lot because of the "critters" that live in the places he likes to crouch under. When we first moved here we rented a little house with a chain link fence around it and Murphy had the run of the backyard. I was watching him through the window one day and he put his little bum up against the chain link so his poop would fall outside of the fence.

[Dempsy's Mom]

Haha. Murphy didn't want his area messed up - so clever Murphy. Dempsy is one of those poo on the move dogs. He is so silly he finds it a waste of time to stop and do business. You only stop if there is something good to sniff.

[shergry]

All of mine have turned their backs when pooing...I always thought "they can't see me do my business...ha ha". So I too become quiet and let them do their poo and then (and this is done when they are not looking) pick it up with a wally bag. I do this so they don't know we are taking it and still they will poo in the same area.

[Newman]

Wow this topic is great, lol! I would of never known other cairns have the same feeling of pooping lol.

I totally agree about the hunting thing, I think fonzy thinks he is vulnerable while squatting so he has to do it at night where he's all alone or something iuno. You made some great points and I agree with all of them.

Lol we went to visit our grandparents today, came back and my grandma locked us out of the house, so I had to go jump through my sisters window, MY GOODNESS FONZY WAS BARKING UP A STORM AT 1:10AM LOL!! He was going bezerk! The whole neighborhood could here him. ... Well I got in through the window and opened the door to the bedroom and fonzy and odie (our other dog) like somehow knew it was me and were not scared at all!!! It's Amazing how hey know!!!!!

Edited June 18, 2012 by Newman

[BetsyNoodle]

My Murphy will actually move and turn his back to me if I walk out while he is pooping in our backyard. My little Cairn mix, Betsy Noodle, was the same way. My Min Pin, Ralphie, could not have cared less whether I was watching or not. He was a little whippersnapper. And how!