That scooting is the tell tale sign it needs to be done but you can do it yourself or take the dog to any groomer to do it. If you do it yourself, warning danger do it outside.

I know it's a sign but does it subside on it's own? Or does it have to be expressed? I'll go to a vet...ain't doing that, and I doubt my dog would let me.

I agree with Quirky. I had a cat that used to suffer from the same problem. It won't resolve and in fact the glands can get infected. Take him to the vet, it will literally take him 5 seconds per sack. If you're brave, ask him to show/explain to you how it's done properly so that you don't rupture anything if you try to do it yourself. Really, it's not that big of a deal...after all you do pick up his poop, right???

And my "husband" wears a glove to do it. He isn't very good, and has not tried it with out puppy who does scoot on occasion. The Vet showed him, but there is a chance you can hurt the dog, and that scares my husband.

Sammy

Extraction should be part of the grooming process. I say should, because I discovered that some groomers say they do it, but they don't.

My vet told me that if you don't know what you are doing, you could injure the dog. That said, it is a messy process.

There are TWO things I refuse to do. The first is bathe my dogs (all large). The second is the anal glands. I figure I give them a very pleasant life in every other way, I might as well pamper them and have these two things done simply and easily by someone who knows what they are doing.

SG

Ok, we're off to the vet later. No, I don't pick up his poop, he goes in the woods unlike my other dog who goes on top of my flowers :) and sometimes on the driveway if she doesn't want to get her feet wet.

Being a fairly new dog owner, I asked my vet to show me where they are and how to do it, and what felt normal.

My dog was so nervous about being poked around back there, that he obliged and expressed himself. Then we poked my puppy a little. :)

while impacted anal sacs can be quite common it is nothing to take lightly as an anal sack can go from impaction to serious infection quite quickly, sometimes in a matter of days. Not saying you're taking it lightly, just letting you know that once a dog starts having anal sac problems it is wise to keep a close eye on things. Below is a good link describing the different problems involved with anal sacs, just so you or anyone else has reference just in case.

Here is a link that might be useful: stages of anal sac problems

Makes you wonder what wolves out in the wild do about expressing their anal glands.

I think I read somewhere that anal gland impaction is common and they figure it happens because on the diets they're fed, the liquid in the sacks isn't needed to lubricate when they defecate because their stools aren't as hard as they should be, and as they are in the wild. Something to that degree, anyways.

My beagle has problems with her anal glands, they've gotten way better since we switched foods though. She hasn't had to have them expressed in quite a while, where as it was every few months before. I could never do it myself. It's the smell...its a faint, smell..not strong but boy does is it rotten. I'm fairly sensitive to smells and when the vet did it the combination of how gross it looked and how it went EVERY where, and the smell...I had to leave the room. We just take her in, neither of us is willing to attempt it, and I worry too much that we'll do it wrong, too.

It's soooo worth the $10-$15 most vets charge.

So bumblebeez, do you mean to say that when your pooch poops on your flowers or driveway you just leav it there???

No, I let it dry up a bit then flick it away with a stick. They are small dogs, after all!
The neighboring giant dog has pooped in our yard before...now that's gross!

Please be sure to have this checked. My vet found a tumor in one of my dog's anal glands. The dog had surgery to remove this gland and the tumor was cancer. The vet told me that these tumors frequently are cancer.