Have you ever noticed your dog scratching the ground after urinating and wondered why the heck do dogs do that? Well, once again, this behavior, known as a scrape, is a residual behavior tied over from the dogs' ancestor, the gray wolf.

The act of scratching the ground in a backward motion, usually with the hind legs, and sometimes also with the front, is typically performed by dominant wolves, but may also be done by mid-ranking individuals depending on the circumstances. Wolves do this scraping as a type of marking behavior, such as to announce a territory boundary to an opposing pack, or to claim a food item as their own.

Wolves have scent glands located between the pads of their paws, so every scrape they perform leaves a characteristic scent of that individual. Hence, dominant wolves tend to use this behavior to announce their status among their own pack, or perhaps a rival pack that may cross into their territory.

Domestic dogs probably use the behavior for similar reasons, or simply may conduct scraping due to instinct and not possess a current motivation. The Sawtooth Pack: Wolves of the Nez Perce are often noticed scraping after a dominant member urinates, after the alpha-female, Ayet, displays dominance over Motoki, and usually when fresh food is available.