Does anyone know why some dogs think it is an absolute must to roll in the stinkiest dead stuff they can find? Our shetland sheepdog / boxer mix can’t get within 100 yards of something dead without having to seek out the stink and become one with it. She smells like a corpse half the time. The lab never rolls in anything. Eat it, yes, but not roll in it.
Just curious if anyone knows why the do that. It baffles me.
Perhaps it doesn’t like the smell of the shampoo you use!
I would think it’s a way of scent marking the “kill”. If you notice, they’ll roll in it, then smell it. Then they roll some more.
Mine do it too, not sure why. Dead worms, cow poop, deer poop, gut piles and they love to both eat and roll in frozen turkey poop. I had to get rid of my bird feeders to keep the turkeys out of my yard.
One time I was pulling three-ways along some rip-rap at Dubuque and saw someone walking their lab. It was late spring and the tail end of a period of unseasonably warm weather… Big rotten carp on the bank and long story short – the dog was literally covered in it. I could smell it from the boat. Many expletives were uttered by that guy.
My lab/huskie mix currently has a semi-frozen pile of rankness hidden somewhere within a 10 minute distance. I have learned this by letting her out for 5 minutes…she returns fine. 8 min…fine again. 10 mins…returns smelling like a glorious sh*tbomb! We have played this game for 2 weeks and she thinks it is great fun.
It’s just like why deer hunters use cover scents, instinctually they want to avoid detection by prey or any percieved threats. That’s also why they always pretend to cover their poo by making a half hearted effort of kicking grass before they walk away.
I once heard it was a way of pleasing their master? To the dog, it smells great so surely my master would be pleased if I returned home covered with this great smell. Don”t know if there is any truth to it however?
We have a deer that died last fall about 100 yards from my barn. If she can get far enough away to where you can’t call her back fast enough, she’s all over it, or in it. Driving my wife nuts.
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Dead worms…
Yours do that too, huh? Its pretty annoying.
I left my Lab with my parents one spring when I went out to Lake Erie for a fishing tournament. They took him out to the lake cabin so he could run around and it didn’t take him long to find a dead carp. He brought it back near the cabin, I suppose to show it off, and then he started rolling in it. I called them later that evening to see how things were going and I got an earful! LOL!
I have to be really careful with him around the lake in the spring. Dead fish are his thing… no doubt about it!
Well… this explains why BK’s dog always rubs up against him like a cat! 
It could be worse guys. I was pheasant hunting one time and my dog found where a PERSON had stopped and took a number 2 in the road ditch. In one quick motion she rolled in it before I could stop her. She usually rides in the cab of the pickup if not too dirty, not this day. She didn’t appreciate the cold garden hose shower when we got home either.
I guess in a way your kind of lucky John.
Why? Because your lab doesn’t roll in that dead, stinky stuff too!
Our lab will both roll in dead animals and eat them.
I used to work in the pet food industry. The company was always trying to improve the appeal of their dog food. I used to tell them that all they had to do was make it smell like dead animals. I agree with Will on the reasoning.
I’m 14 years old. It’s a beautiful fall day. I grab my 2 year old golden retriever & we head out for an afternoon walk for pheasants. We had no more than started when she disappears. I’m starting to freak a bit and start circling. I find her, rolling in a dead sheep pile. It’s all I can do not to puke and yet drag her away. I forced her over to the stock pond near by. I threw sticks for at least an hour trying to “wash” her. We headed back to my car for the ride home. It was so gross, all the windows on my 72 Maverick were rolled down. I think I sold that car shortly after….
Wait a minute! I caught my lab rolling in my dirty underwear pile…never mind. 
(yes, I do have a dirty under wear “pile”)
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It’s just like why deer hunters use cover scents, instinctually they want to avoid detection by prey or any percieved threats. That’s also why they always pretend to cover their poo by making a half hearted effort of kicking grass before they walk away.
I agree completely with this theory. Comparing them to all the coyotes I trap and hunt each year, so many of them have rolled in the stinkiest crap they could find. Especially that 2 weeks after gun deer season. i think there is some wildlife law that all coyotes must roll in a gut pile for 5 minutes before stepping into a trap. 
Even the sub zero weather doesn’t take the stench out of my garage.
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