Why do dogs turn circles when they poop?

There are several reasons why dogs turn circles when they poop:

Statistical data shows that dogs tend to defecate with their bodies inclined towards the north-south direction. Therefore, dogs may turn circles to find a suitable magnetic field for their bodies.
When dogs poop outside, turning circles can flatten the surrounding weeds, drive away snakes and insects, and prevent feces from sticking to the grass, thus preventing themselves from getting dirty.
Turning circles while pooping can promote the elimination of feces.
For dogs, pooping outside can be unsafe, so they will turn circles to check the environment for safety before defecating.
Finding a suitable magnetic field

Some studies have shown that most mammals have the ability to align their own center with the magnetic field, which is called "magnetic field acceptance." Therefore, many dogs will continuously turn circles before pooping to align their bodies towards the north-south direction, which is actually looking for the suitable magnetic field direction for their bodies.

Wanting to flatten the surrounding weeds

When dogs poop outside, they usually choose places like grasslands or shrubs, which can easily poke their butts. Therefore, dogs will turn circles to flatten the surrounding weeds and trees. At the same time, this can also drive away mosquitoes, insects, and snakes and prevent the dog from getting their fur dirty.

Promoting feces elimination

Dogs always turn circles when they poop outside, and one possible reason is to promote the elimination of feces. If you observe carefully, you will find that after each circle, dogs will poop faster.

Lack of security

For dogs, pooping outside is a dangerous thing and they feel very insecure. So, every time they poop outside, they will turn a few circles to observe the surrounding environment and only poop when they feel safe. particularly for small dogs, their sense of crisis is stronger, so they will turn more circles before defecating.