I have a 3 year old jack russel who is in excellent shape health wise. I have had this dog for about 1 year and i have noticed when he smells something on the ground he stops and rolls on it. also i had him outside one day and wasnt watching him very close and i noticed he was rolling on something so i went over to observe and he was rolling on his back on a dead bird then he would get up and smell and to it again, he also does this with his play toys sometimes...anyone have any answers to why he may do this?
2006-11-19 10:01:07 · 14 answers · asked by whitehoodguy 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
There are a couple of different theories of why dogs roll in stinky stuff. One of the most popular is that they may be reverting back to wolf like instinct. Wolves also roll on stuff out in the wild. It is believed that they do it for a few different reasons. They may be trying to cover their scent so that their prey wont smell them. They also may be trying to leave a mark on whatever they have found, sorta like when they pee on something. Also wolves are pack animals as like your family dog (we are the pack). When they find something interesting enough, they may be trying to pick up a smell and carry it home for the rest of the pack to check out. Domesticated dogs might also have some of this instinct and are acting out a natural reaction. Or maybe they just didn't like the foo foo soap that was used on them when they had a bath and they need to roll in something stinky to more please their nose! Whatever the reason, I just try to keep an eye on my dogs when we are on walks or when they are in the yard. Dead things can carry nasty bacteria. Ewww! Good luck!
2006-11-19 10:27:54 · answer #1 · answered by mysticeyezzz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On my wedding day, I got up early and took my dog for a nice long walk. Wouldn't you know it, she rolled in sh--. I wondered if it was an omen, but things have been okay so far. She would roll in anything, dead or alive. You just learn to keep a nice deodorizing shampoo on hand.
2006-11-19 10:15:10 · answer #2 · answered by abbacchus 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
take a seat Shake (water off) Down extreme 5 Roll over Play lifeless/sleep communicate And maximum of greater. All canines learn superb in diverse approaches. some are take care of inspired mutually as others are toy inspired. Others do nicely with clicker training. do slightly analyze and ensure that's superb on your dogs.
2016-10-04 03:42:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All dogs do this. It's supposedly to mask their own scent - a useful thing if you're hunting. I suppose terriers have been bred for keeping down vermin, so they probably have this instinct quite strongly. There's nothing wrong with his health, don't worry. You can probably prevent it by watching him very closely and distracting the dog whenever there's something particularly whiffy around.
2006-11-19 10:13:58 · answer #4 · answered by Emily 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jack Russells are perhaps the most playful and funny animals.......they love attention and are so much like children. This is very funny......they love playing with things is all......their form of entertainment.........I can tell you this......most Jack Russells seek alot of attention......the best thing for them is to have another Jack Russell around as a playmate....seems to alleviate the need to go looking for things to play with or perhaps making havoc! They are such good fun! A nice choice!
2006-11-19 10:11:06 · answer #5 · answered by jazi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ive had 20 to 30 dogs now and most of them did the same thing..when a dog sees another dog they bark/growl to show they are the better dog.. When a dog smells the smell of a dead animal (even person i work @ police station) there natural instinct tells them to do it..ive read that they do it to, i kno it sounds dumb but "pay respects"..
2006-11-19 10:14:05 · answer #6 · answered by kerry g 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Men and women like cologne and perfume, right? We all like to go around smelling good and bring on some attraction.
Dogs like to go around smelling good too! Not from the shampoo we use on them. They hate it!
They'll go out searching for the smelliest odor to rub their bodies into it , so they can carry the odor on them. That is called their cologne!! It makes them feel good, strong, and proud!
They Love It !!!!!
2006-11-19 13:11:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That made me lol.
Uhm...probably just a bad habit, like nail-biting or finger-cracking. Stuff like that. Or maybe your dog has some weird dead-animal fetish.
Just kidding. =)
And yes, keep him away from the dead things because you don't want him getting sick.
2006-11-19 10:10:47 · answer #8 · answered by miss_gem_01 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My warrior Shih Tzu did the same thing, did not matter if it was dog feces or dead things, the stinkier the better. Why do they do that? Because they can, and we will still love them.
2006-11-19 10:04:46 · answer #9 · answered by maggiepirsq 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can get the dog trained to stop doing that. Man's Best Friend will train your dog, and it is not expensive.
2006-11-19 10:19:57 · answer #10 · answered by HSB 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋