Does your dog kick their legs backward after going to the bathroom?
Most of you would probably say yes. It's also perfectly normal to say that dogs do it because they're just - well, dogs. However, do you know that dogs do it because they want their presence known?
Dogs have sweat glands called merocrine glands that are located in their paw pads. These glands produce sweat that is unique to their own and gives off a distinct scent that only can be traced to theirs alone.
Although humans have about 6 million scent or olfactory receptors that can detect at least one trillion distinct scents, dogs can have as many as 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses that allow them to smell far more complex odors beyond what humans can detect.
Throughout their growth and development from puppy stage to adult, dogs are "hard-wired" to smell that they do so naturally. The dog's nose is highly sensitive and trained to engage in any activity they take on. Dogs use their nose to smell their food, approach people, or lick their paws. Their ability to smell everything and anything doesn't stop there. Dogs enjoy and love leaving their unique mark that after they go to the bathroom, they leave off their own scent when they kick the ground with their paws.