These types of complaints and questions are heard frequently by veterinarians, animal behaviorists, and of course dog groomers. Dogs’ interest in poop (anyone’s, including their own) dead animals and other putrid smelling stuff perplexes, disgusts and causes stress to their owners. Why dogs want to roll in poop is also perplexing to animal experts.

No one really knows why dogs love putrid smelling, yucky stuff and often roll in poop, dead animals, garbage, fish, but there are several theories from animal behaviorists:

• Dogs are descended from wolves and still have an instinctual desire to cover their own scent when hunting to remain undetected by their prey.
• Dogs want to smother and remove the scent of another animal, especially if it has been in their own territory. Dogs want to impart and leave behind their own scent instead of the intrusive other animal.
• Dogs want to communicate they have found something exciting and want to bring it home to share with their loved ones.
• Dogs have a completely different opinion than humans about poop and dead animals and think nasty stuff smells wonderful.
• Dogs do not want to smell like the floral or herbal shampoos often used for bathing them and want to cover these odors with something more natural.

Animal behaviorists offer the following solutions for preventing dogs from rolling in poop, dead animals and other nasty things:

• Use unscented dog grooming products when bathing and grooming your dog.
• Check your yard frequently for dead animals, poop and other offensive stuff. Clean up your yard as soon as you see the offending matter. Try to remove the offending matter when the dog is not watching to avoid increasing its interest to the dog.
• Keep the dog on a leash and give him treats while walking past high poop areas. The treats will keep him busy and happy while you pass the most dangerous areas.
• Train your dog to stay away from putrid smelling stuff by saying “No” and then offering a treat and lavish praise for good behavior.

It is helpful for dog owners to remember their own view of nasty stuff may be different than their dogs’ opinions. While humans may be stressed by constantly cleaning up their dogs, their dogs may experience stress from owners trying to prevent them from following their natural instincts. Owners can alleviate their dogs’ stress by additional companionship, playtime and praise while training them to stay away from undesirable matter.