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Originally Posted by Maximo  I agree with Vicki -- avoid manual expressing glands if possible. My understanding is once you start, the dog will not do it naturally or cannot do it naturally.
Various things can cause full glands or impaction and abscess, including incorrect manual expression. If poops are too small or not firm enough. With my boys, they need daily outdoor activity to do it. They don't express their glands when they poop indoors on the pad.
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Yes, I read about this, apparently it stems from the fact that the release of the scent is a calling card to other dogs and they are much more likely to do it if they poop outside. So adding outside time/walks could be very good for the dog’s anal glands. While I think they should be "checked" often, I do not think they need to be expressed in all dogs, and I believe it may be possible to break the dependency of the manual expression, by adding fiber to the diet and allowing the dog more outside time.