Domestic Dog Scat and Tracks: How to Identify Them (Canis familiaris)

Pet sign is here for comparison: dog and cat tracks and scat are the most common things mistaken for coyote, fox and bobcat. Dogs wander, drag their toes and leave scat anywhere; wild canids travel in straight lines and place scat deliberately. Cats bury scat; bobcats often do not. The measurements below for Domestic Dog are quoted from the wildlife agencies linked at the bottom of the page.

• Claws usually show
• Gait: Medium dog tracks do not overlap each other, are spaced 6-8 inches apart, and frequently change direction, unlike a Coyote's straight-line travel

Coyote tracks are more oval-shaped than a domestic dog's; a Coyote walks in a straight line with its own prints overlapping, while a dog's tracks don't overlap and often change direction The Coyote page has its own sign list.

Wolf tracks are usually larger and more elongated than those of a large dog, with wider toe pads and a bigger heel pad; dog tracks are rounder with a shorter stride The Gray Wolf page has its own sign list.

Put something of known size next to it (a coin, a pen, a boot) and shoot straight down in soft light; low side light brings out the shape of tracks in mud or snow. For scat, photograph the whole deposit and one close-up showing contents. Note where it was: on a log, in the open, on a trail, near water. The app suggests the likely animal; confirm with the size and shape notes above.