The Reasons Behind Dogs' Obsession with Rolling in Poop

Dogs display a puzzling fascination with rollings in unpleasant-smelling materials. This trait may serve as a form of communication, allowing insights into an aspect of canine behavior that we are just beginning to appreciate.

Whenever Simon Gadbois took his border collie, Zyla, on research expeditions, peculiar behavior often occurred. While tracking wild animals in Nova Scotia, Zyla would abruptly stop, drawn to an odor on the ground. Before Gadbois could intervene, she would delightfully roll in what he soon discovered was beaver excrement. "Beaver poop has a horrendous smell that lingers for weeks," notes Gadbois. Even though Zyla was trained to track animals effectively, she found enjoyment in this foul act.

This behavior is familiar to many dog owners: your furry companion returns with a distinct, unpleasant odor after rolling in something repugnant. Gadbois has dedicated much of his career to understanding how dogs and their wild relatives use their keen sense of smell. Yet, he remains perplexed by their fascination with such activities.

Humans domesticated dogs from wolves nearly 23,000 years ago, cohabiting ever since. Despite this extensive history, little research explains why dogs derive pleasure from rolling in other animals' feces. One prevailing theory suggests that this behavior stems from evolutionary roots as wild predators. Though training may teach dogs commands like "sit" or "stay," the instinct to roll in waste remains unchanged.

Gadbois states, "This behavior may once held significance long ago." While the practical function may have faded away, the instinct persists. Wolves roll in the feces of other animals, and even in carcasses. Some suggest this might offer olfactory camouflage while hunting. However, a 1986 study observing captive wolves challenges this notion.

In the study, researchers offered a variety of scents, only to find that the wolves chose artificial odors like perfume and motor oil rather than herbivore feces. This raises questions about their logic. For creatures attempting to conceal their scent, using unrelated odors seems counterintuitive. Notably, the wolves preferred predator feces, such as those from cougars or black bears.

Pat Goodmann, a senior animal curator at Wolf Park, corroborates these observations. "Wolves here showed a willingness to roll in scents from foreign canids and domestic cats," she says. This suggests that wild wolves might engage in similar behavior, unlikely to help in hunting. Instead, wolves usually pursue their prey rather than relying on stealth, prioritizing a different strategy.

So, what other purpose might this behavior serve? It is possible that rolling in strong scents helps smaller canids avoid larger predators. Research published by ecologist Max Allen highlights unique behavior among grey foxes in California. These foxes often chose to visit areas scent-marked by male mountain lions. The footage revealed them rubbing against these spots.

Allen theorizes that the foxes leverage the scent of mountain lions as a potential form of camouflage against larger predators. "Coyotes are threats due to competition for resources," he explains. Since grey foxes are smaller, utilizing puma scent may aid their escape. Yet this does not clarify why larger canids like wolves indulge in similar actions.

It's plausible that male foxes might be marking their territory, supported by their physiological traits that generate scent. From a more social perspective, your pet dog could be sharing interesting scents with you. For animals reliant on their sense of smell, this might be a way to convey vital information within their pack.

Instances in the wild demonstrate similar patterns. Spotted hyenas roll in dead animals, paralleling observations among captive individuals. When adorned with the scent of carrion, these hyenas received more attention from their group. If their scent was replaced, interactions decreased. Likewise, Ethiopian wolves engaged in rolling after meals, notably acting similarly around human excrement.

Earlier, SSP reported that digging holes at the beach can be dangerous.