Why does my dog persist in rolling in other animals’ droppings and other foul-smelling material?

There appear to be two points of view concerning this behavior. One is that it was developed by wild dogs to disguise their natural canine scent when hunting. The second view considers this to be a dog’s attempt to reinforce his own natural scent, so that his body odour will be stronger, thereby enhancing his status amongst other dogs.

This would explain why a dog that has recently been bathed will often indulge in this behavior if given the opportunity. The bathing effectively de-odorizes him, depriving him of his social status, and covering himself with some strong smelling substance is his attempt to retain his position in a species where scent is all important.

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This entry was posted on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 8:20 pm and is filed under Dog Supplies Q&A, Dog Supplies Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.