Why Dogs Roll in Stinky Things and How to Stop It!

One of the most annoying things that dogs do is rolling in smelly stuff like poop, garbage, mud and dead animals. Is this a natural thing? Is there anything you can do to stop it?

Why Do Dogs Roll in Smelly Stuff?

According to zoologists, this is natural dog behavior. In fact, even Wolves (canis lupus) do the same thing. The theory behind this instinctive behavior is that animals roll in stinky stuff to camouflage its own scent. Thus, when it’s time to hunt for food, their dog smell won’t send an alarm to their prey.

How to Stop Your Dog from Rolling in Funny Smelling Things

Catch the act. If there’s anything you want to stop your dog from doing, you need to catch him in the act. If you’re going to reprimand your dog a few seconds after the BAD DEED was done, he won’t understand why in the world he’s being reprimanded for.

You can set up poop on your garden or backyard so you can watch him and catch him on the act.  Remember, you need to be watchful and catch the exact moment when he’s rolling in stink to teach the lesson.


Make it an unpleasant experience. Dogs find nothing wrong with rolling in poop or other stinky stuff. For them, it’s a completely acceptable, fun thing to do. That’s what you need to change. You need to make this “fun” experience, unpleasant and detestable. How?

Squirt him with water. If your dog hates water, you can squirt him with water at the moment he’s doing the act. However, some dogs love playing with water, so this may not be a good idea.

Be careful not to squirt him with water when he’s not doing anything wrong as this will only confuse your dog.

Squirt him with citronella. There are remote controlled dog collars in the market that squirt citronella – an unlikeable scent for dogs. You can also try this and push the button when he’s rolling on something dirty and smelly.





photos:
1. pup
2. dog