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What are they rolling in?


sandgrubber
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Many of us know and dread the smell when the beloved dog finds something raunchy to roll in. 

My two Labs sometimes do the same rolling act, with the same obsessive joy, when there's nothing apparent for them to delight in.  Sometimes it's in grass; occasionally it's on tarmac.  My Springer isn't at all interested. And I can't smell anything afterwards. 

Do others have dogs that do the same? Any ideas about what is going on? 

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There’s obviously something there. I’ve seen dogs fully neck dive onto an itty bitty incy bit of bird shit! In the apparent absence of anything visual, it’s probably that something else peed there previously and it’s dried up, or the poop has been picked up but the scent lingers. 

 

One theory I run with it’s its the domestic dog version of powerful innate instinct in regards to catching dinner. If for example they might want to hunt the local ducks, they roll in duck shit, therefore smelling less like a dog, more like a duck, enabling them to get closer to their prey undetected. 

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49 minutes ago, Scratch said:

If for example they might want to hunt the local ducks, they roll in duck shit, therefore smelling less like a dog, more like a duck,

Oh Lordy ... the exquisite delight taken rolling in human waste , then?  !!!!!! :eek:

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My own theory is they're reacting to something taken up to the vomeronasal (aka Jacob's) organ... which is almost poorly developed in humans, picks up pheromones among other things, and is hardwired to reactive drives (notably sex drive) in the brain.  Maybe a calling card from a female rabbit or cat that's in heat?  

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7 hours ago, Powerlegs said:

I always assume it's dried up earthworms after the rain. Aka Worm Jerky :laugh:

Omg. Yes. My Zena would roll in these too. Loved rolling in duck poop also. And basically anything that smelled dead. Molly actually rolled in dog poop once a very long time ago :vomit:Bat shit is always good to roll in also. And that just doesn’t only stink it sticks. Blah

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One time after a long bath and blow dry,  my boy went out to roll in the grass.  Just so happened there was a poo there.  I don’t think he intentionally did it (at least that’s what I tell myself) but had to get him washed again:banghead:

 

but my my boy loves to roll on grass! He has his moments and then shakes all the shavings off and then rinse and repeat 

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Brings back horrible memories!:scared:The sloppiest cow dug available used to be a rinse and repeat treat.

 

Its also made me realise.... NONE of my dogs have done this that I can recall for the last 30 years!?!:shrug:

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1 hour ago, teddybeans said:

Why are there dead fish readily available to roll in? :rofl:

Because the birds living along the river where we are often leave carcasses lying around, or fishermen throw away the carp which are not allowed to be returned to the water :)

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With my three dogs, the only one who does it a lot is the female. The others just seem to do it when they want to scratch their back & it is never in physically dirty stuff, but maybe where something has peed.  My theory is that in nature, it is the female who finds the food for the pups, so she rolls in the poo of the species that she would normally be hunting in the wild, mainly kangaroo or cow poo.  She does this to camouflage her own scent to enable her to creep up on her prey.  Just my theory...no scientific evidence to back it up LOL.  I just know that when we take her for a walk around the farm, she has to stay on lead.

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7 hours ago, sheena said:

 The others just seem to do it when they want to scratch their back & it is never in physically dirty stuff, but maybe where something has peed

+1 for my eldest boy! :laugh:  Only on grass.  He is smart enough to not do on concrete or hard floors.

 

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5 hours ago, ♦ Marg ♦ said:

Sandgrubber you are in NZ ? If so it’s quite possibly possums... they are a pest over there.

Good suggestion. Yep. I'm in NZ and we have possums.  But my Springer (hunting lines) is possum mad, and she's not interested. Just the Labs. When I lived in WA, the Labs' great granddam had a special plant she liked to roll in.  It was odorless to me.  But when it happens on tarmac, I think you can rule out plants.  Mystery unsolved. 

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My current dogs have never rolled in anything thank goodness , but my previous dog escaped to my neighbours garden and rolled in liquid fertiliser. Omg the stench was horrendous and it took   3-4 baths before he was passable enough to be able to come inside.

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2 hours ago, ♦ Marg ♦ said:

My current dogs have never rolled in anything thank goodness , but my previous dog escaped to my neighbours garden and rolled in liquid fertiliser. Omg the stench was horrendous and it took   3-4 baths before he was passable enough to be able to come inside.

Oh god!:dropjaw:

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