Why Do Dogs Roll In Poop?

Dogs have the most evolved sense of smell known to science, even if a dog goes blind, it will still be tracked to most of the paths and perform activity just by using its sense of smell. However, it can backfire on their human owners because dogs don’t love to smell good at all. You just came home, you’re expecting everything to be fine and your dog right at the doorstep is excited for you, but wait your dog is all messed up in faeces.  

The stench is all over the hallway now, and you have no clue what to do. Well, keep reading to learn why dogs do such stuff in the first place, and how you can train them to put an end to this habit.

Dogs Love To Mask Their Scent 

It is extremely common among dogs to roll in poop. You take your dog out for a walk, and to relieve itself, and then you realize instead of relieving itself the activity is prolonged and the next thing you know your dog has poop rubbed all over it.

The worst part is that the poop isn’t even their own, it could belong to a feral cat, a coyote or another dog.

It can be really disturbing to watch for first-time dog owners, however, if you’ve kept dogs before then you’d know how common it is. The question arises, why even do it in the first place?

Well, dogs like to mask their scent in order to stay as stealthy as possible, and the best possible way to achieve that according to dogs is to smell like other animals.

Dogs Don’t Like To Smell Good 

You just bought that expensive pet shampoo from the local store, and decide to give your dog a warm bath. But the next moment you know, your dog is rolling itself again in that mess just to get dirty again.

Well, dogs don’t like smelling good like we humans do. We might have deodorants and colognes to smell fresh, but they have something more. They want to smell like dogs, and they reside to roll themselves in every gooey matter they can find to make themselves smell bad in our terms.

Therefore, don’t be surprised if you find your furry buddy all messed up minutes after the shower, it is just being a dog.

Can My Dog Get Infected?

Let’s say you took your dog out for a walk, and your dog happens to roll itself supposedly in another creature’s poop. If the said creature is infected, then there might be a chance your dog might get infected too. 

Keep an eye on any signs or symptoms of illness in your dogs, if you suspect anything wrong, then inform your vet about the entire event first-hand to make sure to start the proper treatment right away.

What Can You Do?

Well, it can’t be resolved entirely. Some breeds are more prone due to their inherit nature, however, others might be able to compensate. You can always begin with training at the puppy stage, and use positive reinforcement to promote good behaviour.  
Following are some of the things you can do in order to mitigate this issue: 

1. Use Treats

Next time you notice your dog doing this, then immediately pull out the treats from your pocket and call your dog. If the treats are really good, the dog will eventually run up to you. However, this trick might not always work since dogs are hardwired to roll in poop, it is in their instincts. In order to compensate for that, look for even yummier treats that you know your dog wouldn’t resist. 

2. Keep an Extra Towel With You

You really can’t do much once your starts performing this practise outside the premise of your home, the best you can do is to keep an extra towel with you. You can use this towel to wipe off the sticky mess from your dog’s fur. It might sound gross, but it has to be done. 

3. Keep Your Dog Away From Everything Gooey

You might have to stay extra vigilant and look for everything that appears to be gooey on your path. Your sense of smell might not be as strong as your furry partner, but always stay on the lookout for other faecal matters, and avoid taking that route. ]

4. Your Dog Might Be Marking Its Territory

Spayed dogs don’t usually have territorial issues, and they’re really submissive. However, when it comes to unneutered dogs, you might have to deal with a lot of issues. Just like cats will randomly pee all over their territory to mark, dogs will do the same but with their poop.

They want the entire territory to smell like themselves in order to evade any other opposing pack of dogs. If you suspect your dog doing this, then it will be a great choice to get it neutered to minimize territorial issues.

5. Your Dog Might Have Fever 

Fever can be tough to deal with on its own. However, whenever a fever strikes, your dog’s immune system will trigger the body to cool itself. The body temperature rises in order to ward off the infectious pathogens, but at the same time panting helps the dog to cool itself down.

Check your dog’s body temperature by touching it physically, if you think it is higher than the normal temperature, then proceed to take it to your vet and get it diagnosed for possible infection. 

6. Panting In Different Breeds

Thanks to selective breeding, we have a plethora of dog breeds out there. However, most of them can be categorised in two ways: short faced and long faced. Short faced dogs are mostly bred for their cutesy aesthetics, however, they have a hard time breathing through their nose.

In order to compensate for that, these short breed dogs switch to panting in order to breathe properly.

Final Word 

Why Do Dogs Roll In Poop? Always remember, there’s nothing wrong with panting, all healthy dogs do it. However, once it starts getting excessive when you should be concerned about it, otherwise have fun with your furry buddy and spoil it with treats. 

Recommended Readings:

• How Do You Get Dogs Unstuck?
• Can Dogs Eat Beef?
• How Tight Should A Dog Collar Be?