Question:

Why is it my two chocolate labs find the grossest stuff to roll in?  They like dead animal carcasses and human feces.  If I see them rolling, I panic.  it’s always bad news and means a bath. Rodney

Response:

>Why is it my two chocolate labs find the grossest stuff to roll in?  They >like dead animal carcasses and human feces.  If I see them rolling, I >panic.  it’s always bad news and means a bath. >Rodney

Oh bliss.  Oh joy.  Oh happy happy day.  The grosser the better!  How about fish bait and cattle dung?  Its a dog thang.  Keeping them on a leash works. S — Human/Alpha Dog                          Tina & Gracie AmStaffs/Dogs If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.        James Thurber

Response:

> Why is it my two chocolate labs find the grossest stuff to roll in?  They > like dead animal carcasses and human feces.  If I see them rolling, I > panic.  it’s always bad news and means a bath.

Okay…now I KNOW my dogs are looney-tunes.  They like to roll in dead stuff too, but tonight I threw down a pencil for Bud to pick up (she likes to play fetch), and she immediately pounced on it and started rolling on it! Weirdos……

Response:

> Oh bliss.  Oh joy.  Oh happy happy day.  The grosser the better!  How > about fish bait and cattle dung?  Its a dog thang.  Keeping them on a > leash works. > S

What about dead crabs and fish? The reason we go to the beach is because we don’t *have* to keep the dogs on a leash. But then swimming in the salt water means bath… nevermind! Wendy C.J. and Sam (Hey, Mom, when can we go to the beach again?)

Response:

>> Oh bliss.  Oh joy.  Oh happy happy day.  The grosser the better!  How > about fish bait and cattle dung?  Its a dog thang.  Keeping them on a > leash works. > S >What about dead crabs and fish? The reason we go to the beach is because >we don’t *have* to keep the dogs on a leash. But then swimming in the >salt water means bath… nevermind! >Wendy >C.J. and Sam (Hey, Mom, when can we go to the beach again?)

We speak of the **beach** as the "wide place with water and sand" because to say the word BEACH out loud triggers a total outbreak of excessive dog energy and lunacy!!!!! At the beach, if I dont get to the tasty treat to dispose of it first, Gracie and Tina roll in and/or eat (in no particular order of deliciousness): 1.  Dirty pampers that some environmentally clueless dimwit has "buried" in the                                                              sand (baby poop preferred to pee-pee) 2.  Any remnants of a lunch or picnic, the more sand covered the better. 3.  Nasty washed up dead fish or shellfish 4.  Dead seagulls (also excellent for rolling in) 5.  Other dog poop 6.  Seaweed And to think that I kiss those lips!!!!! S — Human/Alpha Dog                          Tina & Gracie AmStaffs/Dogs If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.        James Thurber

Response:

Quote: 4.  Dead seagulls (also excellent for rolling in) 5.  Other dog poop 6.  Seaweed And to think that I kiss those lips!!!!! S I still maintain that that *most* delicious treat was the week-dead woodchuck that Quail fished out of a wet ditch. Truly an exceptional find! Jane Webb Moon and Mudpie

Response:

Quote:  but tonight I threw down a pencil for Bud to pick up (she likes to play fetch), and she immediately pounced on it and started rolling on it! Weirdos…… No no no. You miss the point. Pencils *smell* — Moony loves to roll on the leather rug in the kitchen. It smells quite nice, I think. ‘Course, there’s the other stuff to roll in which I don’t find quite so attractive … Bear poop, thank goodness, seems to be yucky to the dogs. Jane Webb Moon and Mudpie

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Quote: > 4.  Dead seagulls (also excellent for rolling in) > 5.  Other dog poop > 6.  Seaweed > And to think that I kiss those lips!!!!! > S > I still maintain that that *most* delicious treat was the week-dead > woodchuck that Quail fished out of a wet ditch. > Truly an exceptional find! > Jane Webb > Moon and Mudpie

How about a half-rotted-away sea lion on the beach, crawling with maggots?  What a find!  Dive right in, nose first!         Steve Barnard

Response:

In response to the growing list of disgusting things dogs roll in, especially those found at the beach, most recently a "half-rotted-away sea lion… crawling with maggots" EEEWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! I think we’ll stay away from the beach for a little while. Especially since we just got a full size truck and Sam doesn’t believe that he can jump that high so I must lift him up there. Wendy

Response:

Quote: full size truck and Sam doesn’t believe that he can jump that high so I must lift him up there. With *that* kind of incentive, I’d require some jumping!!! EEEEEwwwwww is right. Jane Webb Moon and Mudpie

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Quote: > 4.  Dead seagulls (also excellent for rolling in) > 5.  Other dog poop > 6.  Seaweed > And to think that I kiss those lips!!!!! > S > I still maintain that that *most* delicious treat was the week-dead > woodchuck that Quail fished out of a wet ditch. > Truly an exceptional find! > Jane Webb > Moon and Mudpie >How about a half-rotted-away sea lion on the beach, crawling with >maggots?  What a find!  Dive right in, nose first! >        Steve Barnard

You have most epicurian dogs.  The stuff my dog loves has deteriorated beyond identification.

Response:

>Quote: >4.  Dead seagulls (also excellent for rolling in) >5.  Other dog poop >6.  Seaweed >And to think that I kiss those lips!!!!! >S >I still maintain that that *most* delicious treat was the week-dead >woodchuck that Quail fished out of a wet ditch. >Truly an exceptional find! >Jane Webb >Moon and Mudpie

My 5yo beagle’s best effort — My wife and I were staying in a hotel near Disneyland. Across the street from our hotel was a 10-acre community garden. Perfect place to walk the dog. I gave him five minutes of off-leash (he won’t poop on-leash) and he headed straight for a 10 feet highX10 feet wideX10 feet long pile of steer manure. Before I could stop him, he’d had one great roll. And boy, did he stink. Imagine my wife’s and my joy having to give him an emergency sponge bath in the hotel room using one of those tiny bottles of hotel shampoo! What a party Jim Proulx Inky’s dad

Response:

Quote: You have most epicurian dogs.  The stuff my dog loves has deteriorated beyond identification. No — yours is obviously the epicure. No wine before its time, eh? Jane Webb Moon and Mudpie

Response:

> How about a half-rotted-away sea lion on the beach, crawling with > maggots?  What a find!  Dive right in, nose first! >    Steve Barnard

I took Samson, our 9 month old rotty out on the boat for a weekend.  We got to the island about 2am and I took him ashore, let him off leash and he found the most disgusting pile of ?????? to roll in.  I put him back in the dinghy and can barely keep from gagging from the smell.  I had to row him the half mile to another beach, throw him in the water there and wash him down, then take him back out to the boat.  What a joy. . .

Response:

Fish bait rules! S — Human/Alpha Dog                          Tina & Gracie AmStaffs/Dogs If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.        James Thurber

Response:

I just had a similar experience with my 1 year old GSD Maxine.  We took her with us on our annual salmon fishing trip to the UP.   She was enjoying all the new smells and suddenly threw herself to the ground and began to roll and twist in the grass.  Unfortunately, my brain didn’t kick in fast enough and I watched her endearing antics until the wind shifted – UGHHHH    I think it was long dead fish, but can’t be sure. A thorough bath and I can still catch a wiff of it!   (This was on the second day of a seven day trip!) Why do they do that?

Response:

> I just had a similar experience with my 1 year old GSD Maxine.  We took > her with us on our annual salmon fishing trip to the UP.   She was > enjoying all the new smells and suddenly threw herself to the ground and > began to roll and twist in the grass.  Unfortunately, my brain didn’t kick > in fast enough and I watched her endearing antics until the wind shifted – > UGHHHH    I think it was long dead fish, but can’t be sure. > A thorough bath and I can still catch a wiff of it!   (This was on the > second day of a seven day trip!) > Why do they do that?

The standard explanation is that wolves roll in smelly stuff to disguise their scent.  There may be something to that, but then they may just think it’s fun.         Steve Barnard

Response:

Once when we were taking an extended trip with our recently departed best friend, Darby Dog, She found a fresh pile of moose poop to roll in. She was off the leash running around and we smelled ther fresh scent of wild animal feces nearby. She came runniong up to us with a big smile on her face and large brown smears on her shoulder snd chest. Fortunately there was a stream and waterfall nearby (Bay of Fundy Canada). we found a bar of soap under the falls and washed her off, much to her dismay. R. Elliott > Fish bait rules! > S > — > Human/Alpha Dog                          Tina & Gracie AmStaffs/Dogs > If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have

known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->        James Thurber

Response:

All my dogs have done that ; now I live in a suburban area and my daschund rolls over hedgehog "leftovers" etc. and he’s invariably glad about it (my wife and I less so). I think that nature commands dogs to load up with the smell of possible hunting preys in order to claim property … ? Any other theories ? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Once when we were taking an extended trip with our recently departed best >friend, Darby Dog, >She found a fresh pile of moose poop to roll in. She was off the leash >running around and we smelled ther fresh scent >of wild animal feces nearby. She came runniong up to us with a big smile >on her face and large brown smears >on her shoulder snd chest. Fortunately there was a stream and waterfall >nearby (Bay of Fundy Canada). we found >a bar of soap under the falls and washed her off, much to her dismay.

Response:

> I think that nature commands dogs to load up with the smell of > possible hunting preys in order to claim property … ? > Any other theories ?>

It is my understanding that dogs roll in stuff to mask their scent when hunting. If you were prey would you run away from the smell of dog or the smell of dead animal or feces? I can’t remember where I heard this. Wendy C.J. and Sam (What do mean we’re not supposed to roll in that stinky stuff!)

Response:

I have two dogs and only my little pointer mutt rolls in foul smelling things.  She does a variety of things which seem to be related to instinctual behavior.  It makes seems that she would want to disguise her scent. thanks for the info eileen – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I just had a similar experience with my 1 year old GSD Maxine.  We took > her with us on our annual salmon fishing trip to the UP.   She was > enjoying all the new smells and suddenly threw herself to the ground and > began to roll and twist in the grass.  Unfortunately, my brain didn’t kick > in fast enough and I watched her endearing antics until the wind shifted – > UGHHHH    I think it was long dead fish, but can’t be sure. > A thorough bath and I can still catch a wiff of it!   (This was on the > second day of a seven day trip!) > Why do they do that? > The standard explanation is that wolves roll in smelly stuff to disguise > their scent.  There may be something to that, but then they may just > think it’s fun. >    Steve Barnard

Response:

>I just had a similar experience with my 1 year old GSD Maxine.  We took >her with us on our annual salmon fishing trip to the UP.   She was >enjoying all the new smells and suddenly threw herself to the ground and >began to roll and twist in the grass.  Unfortunately, my brain didn’t kick >in fast enough and I watched her endearing antics until the wind shifted – >UGHHHH    I think it was long dead fish, but can’t be sure. >A thorough bath and I can still catch a wiff of it!   (This was on the >second day of a seven day trip!) >Why do they do that?

I have a dog who does the same thing (Don’t they all?)  Anyway, I remeber reading in a dog behavior book that since the primary sense of a dog is his sense of smell,  that dogs actually like to roll in and "rub" a new scent into their coat.  According to this book, the dog likes to "wear" this aroma in the same way that we wear cologne.  The scent will make other dogs notice them and come over to investigate. So says the author anyway (too bad I can’t remmeber the name of the book)

Response:

In addition to the yukky things, my dogs like to roll in our bed (?time to change the sheets?) and in freshly-washed wool fabric. Jane Webb Muddle and Moony

Response:

Jolee – it’s the hunting instinct that all dogs still have – some more than others. They roll in the yummy stuff to disquise their scent from prey. "Eau de Fish" seems to be popular with many breeds.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Path: magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.erols.net!news-peer.g sl.net!news.gsl.net!portc01.blue.aol.com!newstf01.news.aol.com!newsbf02.new s.aol.com!not-for-mail >Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs.behavior >Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) >Lines: 6 >NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com >Jolee – it’s the hunting instinct that all dogs still have – some more >than others. They roll in the yummy stuff to disquise their scent from >prey. "Eau de Fish" seems to be popular with many breeds.

Our female Lab is also quite fond of "Eau de deer poop"!!

Response: