Rolling in Foul-Smelling Things
Why does my dog do that…
Rolling in Foul-Smelling Things – It is thought that dogs may choose to roll in foul-smelling things in order to mask their scent, just as wolves do. Wolves may roll in decomposing carcasses or the feces of plant eating animals to disguise themselves. They want to cover their own odors so their prey won’t be alarmed by their scent. This allows them to sneak up on their prey and have a better chance at making a kill. Some behaviorists feel dogs display this behavior in order to advertise what they have found to other dogs.
No matter what the reason, unfortunately, some of our domesticated canine friends have held onto this trait. How many of us have given a dog a bath only to find him running outside to again roll in something foul and smelly?