OT? Why do dogs scrach their side with their hind leg?

[micky]

Maybe this isn't OT, since dogs live in homes? Why do dogs scrach their side with their hind leg?

Is it only because of fleas or do they itch like people? Either way, what do they do about scratching their back and belly etc?

I ask because there is a puppy on Friday's rerun of Monk who is scratching his side with his hind leg and I wonder if they trained him to do that or if they put some fleas on his side to get him too. And how could they train him unless he had some reason to do it in the first place? He looks too small and young to know English already.

[Smitty Two]

Don't you have anything to do up in the attic, mm?

[micky]

Yes, lots. But the ladder is downstairs.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Don't you ever scratch yourself? Most of my life I lived with a dog in the house. I never saw a dog who does not scratch.

[dadiOH]

Because their front legs don't bend that way.

[Dean Hoffman]

Because they hold the cards in their front paws.

(except for the cheat)

They scratch their backs the same way as horses.

[Doug Miller]

micky wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Dogs scratch for the same reason people do: because they itch. Doesn't necessarily have anything to do with fleas.

Dogs use their hind legs to scratch their sides and heads because they can't reach those parts of their bodies with their front legs.

They scratch itches on their bellies and butts with their teeth, and on their backs by rolling over and wiggling. Ever seen a person scratch his back on a doorpost? Same idea exactly.

[Meanie]

Me guess you aint a dog person. Best if ye don't ever own one.

[EXT]

I have seen dogs, cats and even horses scratch the areas they can reach with their rear paw or hoof. The mouth works for other areas that they can reach with their teeth. They do whatever they have to do to get rid of the itch.

[Doug Miller]

"EXT" wrote in news:50bc048b$0$47968$c3e8da3$dd9697d2 @news.astraweb.com:

Yep. I grew up with dogs, I've been around them all my life, but I had little to no contact with horses until my late twenties. I laughed so hard it hurt, the first time I saw a horse sit down on its butt and scratch its ear with a rear hoof -- *exactly* like a dog does.