Why Do Dogs Get Post-Poop Zoomies?

One distinctive aspect of the human-dog relationship is that we watch our dogs poop. While witnessing this natural phenomenon thousands of times over the course of our companions’ lives, many of us have noticed that dogs seem to get a boost of energy right after “handling their business.” Perhaps yours runs around in a chaotic burst of joy—a proper case of the “zoomies” (what behaviorists call a Frenetic Random Activity Period, or FRAP). Maybe they march down the street at a faster pace, or their tail wags with more pep than before. Whatever behavior you see, why is it happening? 

We can’t read dogs’ minds, and they can’t explain post-poop zoomies to us. But the most likely answer may be the simplest: they’re happy about what they just did.

Dogs probably just like pooping.

“I think dogs and other animals feel relieved and ‘free’ after pooping,” says Dr. Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder and author of Dogs Demystified

Some have speculated about other reasons for post-poop zoomies. Maddie Messina, applied animal behaviorist and founder of Paws for Thought Dog Training in New York City, says that FRAPs can take place because of good or bad emotions. “My guess,” she says, “is either a dog feels good after pooping and they do zoomies—or maybe pooping is in some way uncomfortable for them, and they release that tension in their body through a zoomie.”

Dr. Bekoff, asked about other hypotheses bandied about on the dog Internet—that perhaps dogs get zoomies because they associate pooping with praise, or that they’re trying to “get away” from their scat—regarded them as unlikely, and zeroed in on the pleasures of pooping as the culprit.

As long as it’s safe, you can go ahead and let your dog zoom.

Now that we have a likely explanation of why dogs go wild after going number 2, there’s the question of whether you should let them do so. The consensus here seems to be: “Yes, as long as it’s safe.”

The only real issue with zoomies would be if your dog hurt themselves or someone else. But if they’re not going to collide with anything or anyone, and won’t otherwise incur an injury, you can feel secure sitting back and enjoying the show. In a 2024 Psychology Today article, Dr. Stanley Coren, Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia, wrote: “Fortunately, zoomies don’t last very long—a minute or two is typical—and, barring the effect of collisions with young children or items in the environment, they are not harmful. That means no intervention is necessary.”