My dog is always scraping the ground with his feet why?

Just recently Ossie my Staffordshire Bull Terrier scrapes the ground all the time.He used to do it after toileting,but now does it for no apparent reason.By scraping the ground i mean he kicks out with his back legs and mud and grass go flying everywhere.He doesn't do it at home,only when we are out walking.Is this a dominance thing ? If so why does he do it when there isn't another dog in sight? I suppose it isn't a problem,but i would like to find out why he does it.

I have no idea Steve,Both Tyler and meg do this like you say after toileting but i never see them doing it otherwise,they just like tipping over pots and digging up bulbs and generally trashing the garden.

I might be wrong but i was told that they do it to empty their anal glands. I might be wrong though

oh gee - both of mine do it too!!!

Sal he doesn't do it at home at all,even after toileting he just walks away when in the garden.

Stormey,i have never heard that before.Perhaps its right,but does this mean i have to go to the vets to have his anal glands checked? Like i say its only when he is out walking so thats what lead me to believe it may have been a dominance thing as he obviously doesn't feel threatened in our garden.Like i say i may be well off line with the dominance thing though.

I think you only go to the vets if they become infected(not an expert), but i was told they empty them by doing this, it makes sense to me as i have never had to empty them and all of mine have done this.

It might be a dominance thing, as Storm use to do it round the edge of the fields every couple of days and any new place he went, so he might be leaving a sent to say that hey i come here to so remember that.

I always thought it was scent marking,
The anal glands is when they scoot their butt along the floor.

I've always thought scent marking. Isn't it to spread the scent around as they have scent pads on their feet?

Helen

I always thought they scooted when the glands were full, and the kicking stopped them getting full. Like i said though i might be wrong, but mine have all kicked and have never scooted and have never had to have them empted

Never had a problem with anal glands on any dog I have ever owned so I can't say for certain but it is generally assumed that dogs scoot when they have problems with their butt usually anal glands or worms or some other irritant.
Fairly sure the scratching at the ground is to do with scent marking, the only dogs I've had that have done it have both been terriers.