Why does my dog roll in stinky stuff and how do I get him to stop?

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.

The poop may have smell very nice to your dog, or Bailey wanted to cover up his own scent. It is typical instinctual behavior. mask their scent to help them sneak up on their prey. My own dog used to roll in badger poop whenever she could find it. I am afraid it is something you will have to live with. A bath will take care of the smell.

I'm sorry to hear that! There are a few things you can do: Keep Bentley on leashed walks only when outside to keep him from getting into garbage or pet waste. Working on commands such as "leave it" or trading for a high value treat can redirect his attention back to you and away from the waste. If he's eating his own, making sure to pick up any stool ASAP (both indoors on doggy pads and outdoors in your yards or walks) can prevent him from getting access to those items. If he's going for litter boxes, moving litter boxes to rooms that you can block off with a baby gate that your cat can jump over but Bentley can't, or using a cat door with an RF chip to allow only your cat access can help prevent him from getting to the area to munch. You can also try products such as For-bid which can be added to the food of whomever's waste is being eaten to make it unpalatable. However, the best treatment is preventing Bentley from getting to the waste at all.

It sounds like this may be a learned behavior for him since he is on a good quality diet and nutritional deficiencies are unlikely. I would recommend distracting him with some play time with his favorite toy in the morning when he tends to do this so you are not giving him attention (even though it is negative attention) for eating the dirt. In order to completely stop this behavior you may need to prevent his access to the dirt by putting something like a basket muzzle on him.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center! Stool eating, also known as coprophagy, is actually quite common in puppies and in many adult dogs too. In fact, if not addressed in a timely manner, there's a risk that this unwanted behavior may end up becoming a recurring habit. There are many theories and potential reasons why dogs decide to eat their feces. These include poor digestion, boredom, stress, attention seeking, and a lack of vitamins/minerals in the diet. The latter is highly unlikely if you're feeding your dog a high quality commercial food, since these generally provide all the nutrients your dog needs. The effective way to deal with this behavior depends on the exact cause. So, it's always recommended to consult with your veterinarian.