Why does my dog rub against the carpet?

If your dog has been rubbing against the carpet a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of reasons why your dog might have been doing it and what you can do to get it to stop.

So, why does my dog rub itself against the carpet? Possible reasons why your dog rubs itself against the carpet are that it has allergies or a rash, fleas, impacted anal glands, it is spreading its scent, or that it likes the feeling.

There are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Why your dog rubs itself against the carpet

Below are a number of common reasons why dogs do it and what would make them more likely to be the reason why your dog has been doing it.

Allergies or a rash

The cause could be that it has gotten a rash or allergies. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly, it has been rubbing the same part of its body against the carpet and if it has been doing rubbing itself against other objects as well. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Fleas

Another possible reason is that it has gotten fleas. This would also be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly, if it has been itching itself a lot as well and if it has been rubbing against other objects.

It likes the feeling

The reason why your dog does it could simply be that it likes the way that it feels. This would be more likely if it does also does similar things in other places as well and if it does not do it excessively.

It’s spreading its scent

The reason why it does it could be that it is marking its scent onto your carpet. This would be more likely if it also does similar things around the house, it occasionally tries to urine mark around the house and if it can be very territorial when other dogs are near the house.

Impacted anal glands

Dogs have two sacs where their anus is that produce an excretion that has a scent that allows other dogs to know its age, sex and health. Sometimes, the anal glands will become impacted which is where the excretion is not able to escape.

This could be the reason why your dog has been rubbing itself against the carpet. This would be more likely if it tends to rub its bottom along the ground or to have blood in its poop.

If it does seem like impacted anal glands could be the cause then it would help to take it to a vet.

It gets rewarded

It could be the case that you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior by giving it things it wants when it does it. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it rubs itself against the carpet, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Instead, it would help to try to avoid rewarding it when it does it, to reward it when it behaves the way you want it to and to try to redirect its focus when it is about to start rubbing itself against the carpet.

Things to consider

Below are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What else happened when your dog first started rubbing itself against the carpet

If your dog did not always rub itself against the carpet, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as fleas, a rash or impacted anal glands but it could still be the case that it does it due to liking the feeling.

What else happens when it normally does it

It would also help to consider what is different when it tends to do it. For example, if it only seems to do it when you are around, it could be the case that it does it because it knows that you will give it more attention as a result.

What to do about your dog rubbing itself against the carpet

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

Take it to a vet

If it has started doing it suddenly, it has been doing it excessively, it has been acting like something could be bothering it or you are not sure why it has been doing it, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored to your particular dog and to rule out a rash, allergies, fleas, impacted anal glands or an injury as the cause.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

As mentioned above, it might be the case that it has learned that it gets rewards when it does it. Instead, it would help to try to reward it when it behaves the way you want it to, to avoid rewarding it when it does not and to try to redirect its focus when it looks likely to start rubbing against the carpet.

Positive reinforcement training

Positive reinforcement training is where you encourage your dog to behave in a certain way by rewarding it when it shows signs of behaving that way. It would help to reward your dog when it does not rub against the carpet in situations that it normally would in order to encourage it to stop doing it.