Oh no! Your Fido once again came back from the park smelling like death! Why do dogs roll in poop and other smelly things, and is there a way to stop this from happening?
Our beloved but sometimes disgusting four-legged companions sure know how to shock us with some behaviors. However, they don’t do this with the intention of shocking you; It’s just part of their natural instincts.
But why are they doing this? Why do dogs roll in poop, and how come they are not repulsed by the smell?
As a dog behaviorist, I have spent plenty of time researching this and other similar behaviors. Here’s what I’ve found out:
Why Do Dogs Roll In Poop And Dead Stuff?
Our dogs can gross us out in many ways, and anything poop-related belongs to that category. Just think about the time your dog ate his own poop! Yuck!
Dogs have a much stronger sense of smell than we do. In a way, they see the world through their noses. This is something that is hard for us to perceive, as scent isn’t something that’s as important to us.
Sure, we love it when people wear good cologne and hate the smell of spoiled milk, but the sense of smell is far less important than hearing or sight, at least for most of us.
At the same time, dogs aren’t disgusted by the same things we are. Just because something has a strong, repulsive smell to us doesn’t mean your dogs are perceiving it the same way.
While this doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t find certain smells disgusting, they don’t let this stop them from behaving a certain way.
So, without further ado, here’s why dogs roll in poop:
1. Camouflage Instinct
While your Poodle sure might not look like it, all canines share wild ancestors with wolves. Yes, your beloved couch potato was hunting for his own food and fighting for his life dozens of lifespans ago.
During that time, rolling in wild animal poop was a great way for a wild dog to hide his own natural scent. This could help him stay invisible to the prey, and he could hunt better.
While many experts believe this to be the main reason behind the behavior, certain pieces of research have shown some opposite information.
It seems that wild wolves will roll in anything with a powerful smell, such as motor oil and perfume. While this will certainly mask their own scent, it won’t be helpful during the hunt.
Either way, dogs seem to want to camouflage their own smell for whatever reason.
2. Territorial Marking
Another possible explanation for why dogs roll in poop might lie in marking.
Most dog owners are familiar with the marking behavior, especially if they’ve owned intact males.
One of the headshaking behaviors male canines do is urinating on everything. This is how they’ll leave their scent around, marking their territory.
There are several reasons why a dog might mark the environment he spends time in, from territorial behavior to simply communicating with his pack.
When a dog rolls into smelly things, he tries to remove the other scents from the location and replace them with his own.
3. Social Behavior
Another theory is that your pooch is leaving his scent so that other members of his pack will know to come and investigate this weird odor.
This is a rather similar reason to the previous one, as your dog is, essentially, trying to leave his own scent in the area.
Dogs are social creatures, and when they find something they think is awesome, they’ll want you to come and see it, as well. However, they cannot use words like we do, so they have their own ways of communicating with other creatures.
Wolf Park research facility in Indiana has discovered an interesting piece of information. When dogs find their packmate having a weird smell on himself, they’ll try to track the source of that scent.
It is believed this behavior stems from hunting and that it helps wolves locate prey animals one member of the pack has stumbled upon.
In other words, it’s just another dog thing we might not understand!
4. Seeking Attention or Reaction
Another reason is that your dog might be seeking attention or reaction from you. This is a common scenario for many other dog behaviors, such as when they are putting their paw on you.
Just think about it. The last time you saw your dog rolling in dead animals or poop, you have probably ran towards him and started yelling.
While you see this as scolding, your pooch sees it as positive reinforcement.
One of the greatest rewards your dog can get is your attention. They’ll do whatever they can just to have you, their pack leader, react to it.
So, the next time your nice walk is ruined by the weird things your dog does, don’t immediately react to it. I know it is hard, but try ignoring him, no matter how bad he smells, and take him on a quick ride home.
The less fuss you make about this situation, the less likely your dog is to learn that rolling in poop is a certain way to get your attention.
5. Investigation and Curiosity
Dogs are naturally curious animals. While we find some things gross, they find them fascinating and want to investigate them more. One of the ways to do this is to roll themselves into the smelly things so they can familiarize themselves with the given area.
By rolling in poop, canines can get to many different conclusions. Maybe the smell is coming from a food source, or some other animal has already been there before him, leaving its scent.
Finally, the smell of poop or carcasses can tell them lots of things about the health status of the animal. It’s always a good thing to know if other animals in the area have been sick recently.
Dogs can do this thanks to their powerful sense of smell. Their noses are far more specialized and sensitive than humans’ sense of smell, and it is estimated they can smell things 10,000 to 100,000 times better than us!
For example, if you were to spray perfume on a shirt you’ve been wearing, the only thing you’ll probably be able to smell is the perfume.
Dogs, on the other hand, will be able to gain lots of important scent information. They can smell the perfume and your sweat and the smell of the material itself!
Similarly to this, the strong poop odor won’t affect their ability to smell other underlying scents.
6. Hunting Strategy
This reason is basically the summary of several things I have already mentioned. Dogs roll in poop as a part of a powerful hunting strategy that has helped them survive for millennia.
By rolling in the poop of prey animals, they can make themselves smell like other species, fooling the prey into believing they aren’t a threat.
This also helps them spread the smell of a possible food source to the rest of the pack, improving their chances of eating a fresh meal.
Sure, dogs today don’t really need to hunt. All they need to do is give you a puppy face, and you’ll give them their kibble. However, they still originate from a long line of wild ancestors, and it isn’t easy to go against their natural instincts.
7. They Find It Fun
Finally, while we might not see it as such, rolling in poop is so much fun – at least for our four-legged companions.
By playing in stinky things, dogs can satisfy their natural urges. This helps them feel powerful and successful, even though they haven’t really done anything good in our eyes.
This is also a great source of mental stimulation, as your pooch will probably spend the next hour thinking about the source of the smell.
Remember, while dogs need plenty of exercise, they also need to put their brains to good use in order to feel satisfied and to get that dopamine.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should allow them to continue with this behavior. However, if you weren’t sure why dogs love to do such things – maybe they are just bored and find them to be hilarious.
How Do I Get My Dog To Stop Rolling In Poop?
Prevention is the best method when it comes to dirty methods, and you are probably wondering how you can stop this from ever happening again.
Well, this can be quite a challenge. It’s not easy to get a dog to go against his natural instincts, but it might still be easier than having to clean your dog every single time you go outdoors.
Here are several methods I’ve used that have helped me deal with this activity:
1. Positive Reinforcement Training
There are various training activities that can help you get your dog to obey you, but using positive reinforcements is my favorite.
Whenever you see your dog approaching poop or a dead animal in the park but not rolling in it, give him a treat or his favorite squeaky toy that he loves so much.
Over time, your dog will learn that a certain behavior (or, rather, a lack thereof) will be rewarded, and he’ll keep doing just that.
Of course, this might be challenging if your dog is running to roll in poop the moment he steps foot outside. For such occasions, it’s necessary that your dog knows some standard commands, such as “Stop!” or “Leave it!”.
Reward your dog when he listens to the command, and ignore him when he doesn’t. Don’t yell at him just because he rolled in poop, as this will give him the attention he is probably craving. You should only be reacting when the dog returns without getting into anything smelly.
2. Avoidance and Management
Another good training method is to redirect your dog’s attention any time you see him noticing anything smelling.
Carry treats or toys with you during walks or outdoor activities. As soon as you see your dog about to roll in poop, redirect their focus by calling their name, giving a command, or offering a toy or treat to distract them.
Over time, your pup will learn to react to your redirections instead of running toward animal carcasses or smells.
By combining this with the classic positive reinforcement method, you can effectively train your dog not just to stay clean, but to listen to you about many other things during a walk.
3. Use Deterrents
Finally, you can use deterrents to make the rolling in poop as unpleasant to dogs as it seems to us.
Many deterrents work by disrupting the sensory experience for the dog. For example, commercial sprays often contain strong scents or bitter flavors that dogs find unpleasant. If you spray them on smelly items, your dog will hate them!
Next, if you keep on doing this for a while, your dog will start associating poop with something unpleasant. This will teach him to stay away, and it’s a great method for the long run.
Lastly, you can use deterrents to help you with other training methods. Your dog will learn that poop and dead things are bad, while staying away from them means treats and attention.
By using these three methods, you can prevent your dog from becoming stinky. Just be patient, as nothing can happen overnight.
How Do You Clean A Dog That Rolled In Poop?
Cleaning a dog that has rolled in poop can be a messy task, and I am sure no one wants to do it. Still, now that your beloved Fido has gotten himself into a stinky situation, you don’t have many options but to do this.
Here are three methods that can help you get the stench out of your dog:
1. Bathing
The first thing you might do is clean your dog using commercial wet wipes and dog shampoos. This might also be the most beneficial method and the one most vets would recommend to you.
Start by using wet wipes for spot cleaning. Be very gentle and careful not to spread the feces all across your dog’s fur. This is an excellent way of preventing large chunks of poop from getting all over your home.
Next, it’s time for a bath. Use a mild dog shampoo, and make sure to follow the instructions. Give additional attention to places where your dog’s fur is coated in poop or dead matter, as these might be the most troublesome to clean.
Don’t use human shampoos, even though they smell better. Many ingredients in human products are dangerous for dog’s sensitive skin.
If you don’t have a dog shampoo, use Dawn’s dish soap, as it is very mild and dog-friendly.
Rinse your dog with lukewarm water and wipe him with a towel. This should be enough to get rid of the smell.
2. Natural Methods
Next to using a dog shampoo, there are several natural methods to keep your dog clean.
These include:
- Making a baking soda paste by mixing it with water
- Vinegar solution
- Lemon juice
- Activated charcoal powder
Keep in mind that none of these methods have been officially approved by vets. As such, I won’t go into greater detail.
I highly discourage you from using any products that aren’t made to be used on dogs without consulting with a veterinarian first.
3. Professional Groomer
Finally, if bathing your dog isn’t enough, or if you are too disgusted to properly wash him, it might be time to ask for professional help. A groomer will know how to help you out!
The only issue is that you might have to wait to fit into a professional’s schedule. But anything is better than letting your dog stay smelly!
While now you know that all the causes of why dogs roll in poop are entirely natural, there’s no need for you to allow this to happen.
By using proper training methods, cleaning your dog the right way, and with the help of a few products, you can ensure your dog smells like roses (well, not literally) all day long.
Vanja’s passion for writing started at an early age, which is why she pursued Journalism as her college degree. She can research any topic and find all the information before you bat an eye, which is a great thing for her job but a terrible one for her husband.
Even as a young child, she fell in love with everything fluffy – but dogs have a special place in her heart due to her childhood companion, a Corgie named Archie.
Motivated by her experiences and driven by a desire to give back to her four-legged companions, she spends her free time volunteering at a local dog shelter.