Rolling around dung, in garbage, and/or rotting corpses is just another untoward behavior that your dog may have ingrained. Even if it had been with you since pup, most likely, it will develop this behavior if not now then soon. The worse thing about this is that your dog will not only roll onto its mess but nearly something else’s leavings. It may be a dog’s thing but you can prevent it from happening and becoming ingrained. Unless you want to spend more than what is necessary for dog shampoos and cleaning stuff, you need to stop this ridiculous behavior your fur ball has gone into – right now!
Dogs are dogs
A theory that explains why dogs roll over nearly any strong scent dates back million years ago. In those days, the dogs in the wild play a huge part in the food triangle. Rolling up in smelly leavings is one of their many ways to camouflage their scent. This is a very wise thing that dogs do when they sneak up on their prey. This behavior has been passed on to breed after breed up to the modern dog breeds that your little fur ball comes from. Isolating your dog from others as preventive measure may not be the most effective of means. This is due to the fact that scent is everything to dogs. They simply revel in whatever fragrances these gross things may emit.
Deter rolling in stinky stuff
Most dog owners resort to isolating their dogs to prevent them from harboring bad habits from other dogs. It may be one of the most effective means but only if you wish to keep the dog locked in its little world. What if it has to socialize with other dogs or people, like if you need to go on a long absence either for pleasure or business? This is on top of possible complications that isolation may bring like boredom and stress which may cause more serious habits. Below are some of the most useful means of caring for your dog while also deterring bad habits like rolling in dirt and dung.
- Keep home clean. A more effective solution and preventive technique in keeping your dog from getting into the habit of rolling in smelly leavings is to make your home and entire property clean. Make sure that there are no rotting anything lying anywhere that your dog can find interesting.
- Be the boss and decide when and where your dog relieve itself during walks. Show your dog that you are the boss – decide when and where your dogs can stop and relieve. Make sure to investigate first where you let your dog release to prevent it from getting excited with stinky stuff.
- Learn and teach the “Leave it! Command. Make sure that you train your dog well and always check if it can recall everything, especially when it is unleashed. You can be innovative and use animation like a loud clap when you see your dog going for smelly stuff.
