Admittedly, we can’t always smell our dogs; but we should always understand you. Why do dogs roll in the dirt? We, dog owners, ask ourselves repeatedly, at the latest, when Wuff pads towards us with a happy dog look and is completely covered in mud or dirt. Here you can read why dogs roll on the ground and how you can best deal with this dog behavior.
A harmless walk, a fixed look from the dog, a jump, and it’s that time again: The beloved four-legged friend is rolling in the dirt and seems to be having a lot of fun doing it. The dung heap smells pretty bad doesn’t bother it, unlike us humans.
That’s why dogs like to roll in the dirt: theories
But why do dogs roll in the mud? We cannot answer the question with certainty. However, several theories could explain the behavior.
Theory 1 – camouflage: For dogs, a walk with their master or mistress is a kind of “going on the hunt.” If the fur noses roll in the dirt or manure, they acquire a sort of camouflage smell so that they cannot sniff out potential prey so quickly.
Theory 2 – Impress: There are moments when dogs want to impress and be admired. If they roll in the dirt, they smell exceptional afterward. It gets your attention from the pack and makes you more attractive. This theory runs according to the motto: Some attention is better than no attention. There is always a reaction to the new smell, regardless of whether it is from conspecifics or the human family.
Theory 3 – The intoxication: This theory is as simple as plausible. It states that dogs, who undoubtedly have an excellent sense of smell, like to smell the scent of manure, dirt, grime, and whatever else they roll in. Some dogs may feel like sniffing out new fragrances. While humans apply perfume, the four-legged friend applies something “nature.”
Can you stop dogs from rolling in the dirt?
So far, the possible reasons for rolling have been clarified. Now the question is whether the dog can be weaned from the (from our point of view) mess. First of all, however, we have to ask ourselves whether we should break Bello’s dog behavior at all. The above theories are all understandable, at least from a dog’s perspective. For dogs, these scents of nature in which they wallow are by no means stinky smells – quite the opposite: they smell good or at least interesting. So first, put yourself in your dog’s shoes and ask yourself if it’s better to give him the pleasure now and then.
The alternative to this is quick reactions. In principle, you can only prevent your dog from rolling in the dirt as a preventive measure. It’s natural dog behavior. You can try to stop it with a heavy hand, but you need to be quick. Tip: You can deliberately choose paths for the walk you know will not have mud puddles and the like.
