My dog rolled in poop! Why do dogs do this and what can I do?

Unfortunately this is a common problem with many dogs. Many dogs enjoy a good roll in something very stinky. Using a shampoo meant for oily skin may be helpful. In extreme cases a dish detergent such as Dawn dish soap could be used but keep in mind that shampoos or soaps like this can strip topical flea medications from your dog's coat. Teaching your dog a good "Leave it" command may help with these episodes in the future. Otherwise avoidance is the best management plan. This is a good step by step guide for teaching leave it: https://positively.com/dog-behavior/basic-cues/leave-it/

Hi there! I know what you are going through as one of my dogs does this as well. This is likely the dog trying to spread his own smell to try to "overpower" the smell of another dog or something else (urine, feces or dead animals). It is a way of marking territory. What I do is start telling him not to do it at the earliest sign that he is about to do it and then reward him immediately with a treat. Good luck!

I am sure that is very frustrating. Unfortunately, there is not an easy fix for this problem. You could keep him on a leash and away from any feces and/or make sure your yard is free of feces so he can't roll in any. You could teach him the "leave it" command and see if you can't get him to avoid the feces by using this command.

Bandit is such a cutie! Dogs love to roll in gross smelling things. I have a Basset Hound, and he likes to roll in disgusting items as well. I can also tell when he's about to do it because he becomes very interested in a particular spot on the ground. The minute that I notice him doing that, I clap my hands to get his attention and call him to come over to me. That distracts him from rolling in the smell. I would try that with Bandit. Look for the behaviors that indicate he is about to roll, and immediately distract him from doing it. You can offer him a treat to come over to you, or have him perform a command. By distracting him, he will forget he's about to roll and leave the area alone. I hope this helps!

I think there are several possibilities - some dogs roll just because it feels good, some are itchy, and some might be rolling in something stinky because they like the smell. If you think she's excessively itchy it could be related to a medical problem, by otherwise rolling in the grass is normal dog behavior.

Many believe it's instinctual behavior, going back to the days when your dog's wild ancestors would roll over dead animals to mask their scent to help them sneak up on their prey. It is gross but not a harmful behavior.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to a scent in the environment that has the odor. Also, it is quite common for puppies and dogs in general that they roll on something that may have a scent such as urine in the grass from another dog for example. I would recommend that you go outside with your puppy to see where he is getting that scent. Best of luck!