Why do dogs roll in crap?

[Joe the Liberal]

took my dog out for walk yesterday like usual but this time she found another dogs crap and started to roll in it getting it all over the left side of her neck I pulled her away before she could get to much of it on her and took her home and bathed her but why do they do this? this isn't the first time she's done it.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I just saw your post after posting my own similar thread.

It is totally normal, albeit disgusting to us humans. It is about territory and marking, and pack behavior.

"Its a dog thing. You wouldn't understand."

Seriously, google up "dog roll in poop" or something similar and you'll get plenty of hits that will tell you the whole story.

It is annoying, but harmless and completely normal.

[jtuck004]

2. The explanation that made the most sense to me is that dogs

are predators, and rolling in scented objects masks their smell, making it easier to sneak up on prey. Dogs have about 200 million sensors in their nose vs about 5000 for humans, so the world of smell is an incredible part of their world, much more so than ours.

It's behavior that is really at lower levels of their brain, the kind they may not have much control over.

[MadMaddie]

3. So I have two dogs

My Max (boy) vizla/pitt mix will eye his target poop or dead animal :evilfrown: and act like he doesn't see it:eyes: .....as we get close he gets the crazy look :silly: and dives fast so we can't catch his collar...little shit...

My girl Maddie is a little bit more formal, if she is off leash....she spots her target but see she has to be positioned correctly, tail has to be in the correct position, shoulder has to be dropped :dilemma: .......just right....and (this is when we usually catch her) but on occassion she does get the roll in.....usually a stinky dead animal.....

Usually a string of curse words...and you are getting a bath... :grr:

[mopinko]

4. just be grateful she didn't eat it.

just sayin'

[Phentex]

5. How do you wash the crap off effectively without hurting the dog?

He stinks. Reeks. I think it was a mixture of dead animal and crap. I got most of it off. But he still stinks. Today I bought a deodorizing dog shampoo and I pray it works! I don't want to hurt his skin but the smell is killing me. (He's a mutt with thick fur, fyi.)

Plus, he is my snuggly live stuffed animal and I miss snuggling! :)

[MiniMe]

6. It stinks to you, probably smells wonderful to him

[MadMaddie]

7. You won't hurt him

Rinse him off with the hose first. Or put some gloves on and take him to the tub. We have a detachable shower head we use for them. It doesn't hurt them at all. They just don't like baths.

Nothing like a stinky dog.

[undeterred]

8. Poop is easy compared to skunk or dead fish.

Poop comes off with soap and water. My current dog doesn't roll in poop very often but if he does it usually doesn't take much convincing to get him to go in the lake for a swim. If not it comes off easily in a bath.

Now if he rolls in dead fish remains, that's gonna stink for a while.

If he gets sprayed by a skunk, that's gonna stink for a long time.

[murielm99]

9. My current dog is the first one I've had who rolls

in shit. I hate it. She is always so happy when she gets away from us and rolls in it. Surely she must KNOW that a bath will follow.

[Orsino]

10. Intel.

When a wolf returns to his pack, the first thing they do is smell him all over, to find out where he's been. By rolling in animal dung, he's telling the pack what sort of game is around.

[bluedigger]

11. Because they detest Strawberry-Lavender Herbal Shampoo.

:shrug:

[murielm99]

12. You have a point.

We used to have a dog who would roll in the nasty stagnant water and piles of dead leaves in the culvert right after getting a bath. Sometimes she stank so badly that I had to give her another bath right away.

I did understand that she was trying to get rid of the too-clean smell she had right after a bath. She could not stand that too-clean smell.

[Warpy]

13. They also love decomposed wildlife

and consider it all doggy perfume. It might be to cover their scent when they're hunting.

In any case it's normal doggy behavior. Just sigh and bathe them. Don't bother lecturing. They'll think you're nuts.