Why Your Dog Can't Resist Rolling in Poop and Decay

Why Your Dog Can't Resist Rolling in Poop and Decay

Photo: Pexels

If you've ever witnessed your dog enthusiastically rolling around in something that reeks—whether it's manure, dead animals, or feces—you might have asked yourself, "Why do they do that?" The behavior is common, but understanding it requires delving into the mysteries of canine instincts, communication, and even a bit of evolutionary biology.

Dogs have long fascinated us with their seemingly perplexing behaviors, and rolling in smelly substances is no exception. Many dog owners are baffled when their pets happily coat themselves in foul-smelling substances, often requiring a much-needed bath afterward. But this behavior, while unpleasant to us, is actually quite natural for dogs and has multiple explanations.

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Dogs roll in smelly stuff to disguise their scent from prey.

Instinctual Behavior: Camouflage and Stealth

One widely accepted theory for this behavior is that dogs roll in smelly things to disguise their scent. Wild dogs, like their wolf ancestors, relied on stealth to hunt. By covering themselves in the odors of dead animals or other animals’ droppings, they may have masked their own scent, helping them avoid detection by prey or even predators. The theory suggests that this was a survival tactic to get closer to prey without alarming them, and while domesticated dogs don't need to hunt in the same way, this instinctual behavior persists.

Pat Goodmann, an animal behavior expert at Wolf Park in Indiana, has studied scent-rolling in wolves and tells the BBC that it may not just be about hiding from prey. Instead, wolves and dogs might be rolling in these scents to send a signal to their packmates. She suggests that when a wolf rolls in the scent of a carcass, it's not to hide from predators but to communicate, "Look what I found" to other pack members. This social sharing could help the pack find food or simply exchange information about their environment.

American Kennel Club reports that this behavior is seen in both wild and domestic dogs, reinforcing its deep-rooted connection to their social structure.

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This behavior dates back to the wild days of dogs and wolves.

 

Exploration and Mental Stimulation

Another theory centers on a dog’s love for exploration and sensory stimulation. Dogs experience the world primarily through their sense of smell, which is far more powerful than ours. For dogs, rolling in new and interesting smells might be a form of enrichment. According to Daily Paws, dogs may roll in smelly substances simply because it excites them. By covering themselves in a particular scent, they can carry it with them, breathing it in deeply whenever they choose. This process allows dogs to engage with the scent on their terms, and for many dogs, this becomes an enjoyable, sensory experience.

This behavior is linked to their natural curiosity and desire to interact with their surroundings in a way that humans can’t fully appreciate. For a dog, rolling in something stinky is more than just a quirky behavior; it’s a way to interact with the world that feels deeply satisfying.

By rolling in feces or decaying matter, dogs could be announcing to other dogs that they've found something valuable or interesting. Dogs have a strong social structure, and this form of communication could be an important part of how they interact with their environment and their pack. In some ways, it mirrors the behavior seen in wolves, who have been observed using scent-rolling to share information about food or other important finds with their pack. This behavior, while puzzling to us, makes sense in the context of a dog’s social and evolutionary needs.

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Dogs may use strong smells to communicate with their pack.

 

The Evolutionary Hangover

Despite our best efforts to understand why dogs love rolling in stinky substances, there is no single, universally accepted explanation. Some experts, like those cited in Psychology Today, suggest that this behavior might be an evolutionary leftover from a time when wild canines needed to mask their scent while hunting. As animals adapted to living alongside humans, the need for such camouflage may have diminished, but the behavior persists in our pets.

As BBC Future reports, this behavior could also be part of a form of "olfactory camouflage" that helps dogs avoid detection from other predators. While this theory holds some weight, not all researchers agree that it’s a universal explanation, especially when considering the diverse array of smells dogs choose to roll in.

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Rolling in odors could help dogs avoid predators.

 

What to Do About It

While this behavior is natural, it’s understandable that you might not want your dog rolling in something foul. If your dog rolls in something disgusting, it’s important to remain calm. According to experts, you shouldn’t punish your dog for their instinctual behavior. Instead, the key is distraction. Keeping your dog on a leash in areas with known smelly treasures can prevent these unsavory encounters. Some experts recommend using positive reinforcement methods, like treats, to train your dog to stay away from certain smells.

Dogs rolling in smelly stuff may never cease to be a source of amusement (or frustration) for pet owners, but understanding the reasons behind this behavior can help us appreciate it. Whether it’s to communicate, explore, or simply enjoy the sensory stimulation, dogs are following instincts that have been hardwired into them for millennia. So, while it may never make the behavior pleasant for us, it’s certainly an important part of what makes dogs, well, dogs.

Matthew Russell

Matthew Russell is a West Michigan native and with a background in journalism, data analysis, cartography and design thinking. He likes to learn new things and solve old problems whenever possible, and enjoys bicycling, spending time with his daughters, and coffee.

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