How to Massage a Dog to Poop (12 Tips for Canine Constipation)

Co-authored by Natalie Punt, DVM and Kai Hynes

Last Updated: January 28, 2025 Fact Checked

Whether your dog is shy, old, constipated, or just slow at doing their business, a few simple massages can really help get things moving. Coupled with hydration, a healthy diet, and regular exercise, doing these massages daily or weekly for at least 30 seconds at a time can really improve your pooch’s pooping habits. Read on for a list of massages you can do at home to help your dog poop.

1

Stroke your dog’s whole body.

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Glide your hands from head to tail and down the legs. A full-body rub down can loosen and relax your dog up both physically and mentally.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Colleen Demling-Riley, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBC
Canine Behavior Consultant

Expert Interview} Start by putting a little pressure on the back of your dog’s neck and sliding down the back and sides. Make sure to stroke down their legs and tail, too.^{[2]
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- This is also great for preparing your dog for other massages.

2

Give your dog a backstroke.

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Stroke from the back of the head down the spine. Tension in the spine and back muscles is a common reason a dog can have trouble pooping. While your dog is sitting or lying on their stomach, place both hands on the base of their neck. With light pressure, slowly move your hands along both sides of the spine, down to the base of the tail.^{[3]
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- Keep your hands on the sides of the spine, not on the bone.

3

Rub your dog’s belly in circles.

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Sometimes, a simple belly rub can be enough to stimulate your dog’s stomach muscles. Lay your dog on their back or side, so their stomach is exposed. Apply light pressure on their belly with your palm, and rub in clockwise circles for a few minutes.^{[4]
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4

Stroke your dog’s belly.

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While your dog is on their back or side, place your palm on the middle of their exposed stomach. With a bit of pressure, slide your hand downward, toward the genitals. Repeat this motion for a few minutes.^{[5]
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5

Massage your dog’s sides.

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Move both hands in clockwise circles along their abdomen. In addition to rubbing directly on the stomach, try rubbing on the sides of your dog’s belly. Lay your dog on their back, and with both palms, apply light pressure to their waist. Move your hands in clockwise circles along both sides of their abdomen.^{[6]
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- Go as far up and down as you can between the thighs and chest.

6

Rub your dog’s left side.

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Vibrate your hand along the left side of their stomach. The latter half of a dog’s intestines are on their left side. While your dog is lying on its back or right side, place your palm on the exposed left side of the abdomen. With light pressure, quickly but gently rub your hand up and down for a few minutes.^{[7]
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- Again, this should be on your dog’s left side, not yours.

7

Trace your dog’s intestines.

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Stroke their lower abdomen in an upside-down U-shape. If rubbing the exit half of the intestines isn’t enough, follow the dog’s intestines from right to left. As they’re lying on their back, put light pressure on the right side of their stomach, beside their groin. Move your hand up and to the left, over the genitals, and back down to the left groin, creating a U-shape.^{[8]
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- Try pushing and releasing as you go to stimulate the intestine.
- Or, vibrate your hands as you go for a similar effect.

8

Knead your dog’s thighs or glutes.

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Rub your thumbs in circles on the base of the back legs. It could be that tension is being held in the back legs, especially in older dogs. With your dog sitting or lying down, place a thumb on each leg’s thigh or glute muscles. With a bit of pressure, move your thumbs in clockwise circles.^{[9]
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- Gradually make the circles bigger to cover as much as you can
- Or, reposition your thumbs, giving each spot 30 seconds to a minute.

9

Compress your dog’s back legs.

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Squeeze and release along the length of each leg. To further relax your dog’s hind legs, get them to lie on their side. Wrap one or both hands around one thigh, and gently squeeze and release. Continue squeezing and releasing down the length of the leg, all the way down to the paw. Go up and down a few times, then repeat on the other leg.^{[10]
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- Avoid squeezing the joints where the legs bend.
- You could also do this with the front legs.

10

Massage your dog’s head.

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Dogs can have trouble going to the bathroom because they’re nervous or uncomfortable. For example, some dogs get anxious in new or unfamiliar environments. Rubbing their forehead may calm them down and get their system moving.^{[11]
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11

Give your dog an ear rub.

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Pinch the inner and outer ear, and slide from base to tip. In addition to rubbing your dog’s head, massaging their ears can also provide peace of mind. With your thumb on the inside of the ear and your index finger on the outside, slide your hand from the base out to the tip a few times.^{[12]
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- At the end, you can give their ears a little tug.

Join the Discussion...

My dog is constipated. What do I do?

WikiCheetahGlider673

This is my first time owning a dog and my 6-month-old retriever is constipated. He normally poops 1-2 times a day, but he hasn't gone in about 36 hours now and I’m sort of freaking out. I did call my friend who is a vet student and she sort of said that it should be okay but that if nothing changes it’s an emergency. Is that true? When do I need to go to the ER? My dog seems like he’s trying to go, but nothing comes out. I feel so bad for him but at the same time I don’t want to go spend a bunch of money on the vet if this is just a normal thing that happens to dogs sometimes.

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Giving your pup a massage helps you form a big bond with them.^{[13]
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Colleen Demling-Riley, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBC
Canine Behavior Consultant

Expert Interview}

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Try putting on soothing music and laying your dog down on a soft, flat surface (like a couch or rug) to help them relax.
You can tire your dog out so they’re submissive during the massage by taking them for a long walk beforehand.

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