Molly'sFriend Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Can anyone identify with bringing your dog for a walk and upon finding the dirtiest most foul smelling manure they just roll on their back until they have practically attached themselves to it? If so I am interested to know if anyone knows what this behaviour is about and what approaches ye have taken to prevent it. Besides keeping them leashed how else can one stop them from doing it? I am tired of facing the prospect of washing Molly after each trip to the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyrasmom Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 You can't stop a dog from being a dog and what smells terrible to you, is like a candy store to them! To forego multiple baths you just need to either keep her leashed or make sure her recall is so good that you can call her back when she starts sniffing too intensely in any one area. I know it's a pain but I must say that I think the expression on their face once they're done rolling in whatever disgusting mess they've found, is priceless. Life is good for them right at that moment. Sorry that I don't have any better advice, maybe someone else will?? Maria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorra's Pappy Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Hahahaha, my jeep smelled like fish guts for about 3 weeks after a recent trip to the lake. Zorra thought it smelled wonderful. :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderbob Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 dogs will roll in it as a bug repelant,and to attract other dogs.this same technique is also used in the training of drug,search, cadaver dogs.a smell is imprinted in the brain and behavior is modified to get results needed.my dogs never roll in it but they do consume it,yuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 The worst around here is the people who tresspass down by the river, leave their outhouse type deposits, and my dogs roll as much as possible - on my own property. It`s worse than sheep,cow, or fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Originally posted by Molly'sFriend: Can anyone identify with bringing your dog for a walk and upon finding the dirtiest most foul smelling manure they just roll on their back until they have practically attached themselves to it? YES Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Eeewwwww Mark!!! That is really gross! Dazzle seems to prefer eating things like sheep poo rather then rolling it in. She did roll in something really gross once but after that I just made sure we had a great recall so that I can call her off of gross stuff. That works pretty well, and then of course just keeping them on leash would work to but that isn't as fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly'sFriend Posted September 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Tahnks people for the feedback thus far. It is the reason for actual behaviour I would like to know more of and borderbob's post was therefore ver informative. I was thinking it might be used as means to repel bugs and I know that with good recall and patience then one can guide the dog towards more useful behaviour (as perecived by us humans). To you Mark I can only say thank you for helping me remember the phrase - 'it could be worse!' Thanks again to all. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Ewwww, Mark! :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Originally posted by PSmitty:Ewwww, Mark! :eek: I absolutely second that I thought they might do it to mask their own smell from their prey, or, as pups, from predators? Words of hope: Kessie stopped (ALMOST stopped) doing it after she was about a year old. The occasional bit of fox poo will still tempt her (that smell is just evil! :eek: ) but all the other perfumes have lost their appeal to her. After changing to raw food she even stopped eating horsesh*t! Who can blame her? The tripe that is in the fridge right now should be enough. It's by far the worst tripe I've ever come across, without competition :eek: . She loves it of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisingRiver Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 My GSD/Chow rolls in fresh horse manure quite frequently (we have a horse). She also eats it She usually only does it in the dry season. I can't stop her, she just gets hosed down every time she does it - with shampoo of course cuz the smell will stay otherwise. :/ No idea why - esp since she hates getting wet. Guess she doesn't make the connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly'sFriend Posted September 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 That's an interesting thought Sandra s regarding the disguising of their own scent. Molly is just seven months so it makes sense. From your words of hope I take it that I now can look forward to her stopping perhaps when she gets that bit older and maybe feeing more secure in the woods. Could you tell us about the tripe (do you boil it before feeding it to Kessie etc) and what other raw foods do you feed Kessie? Also, how does it effect her teeth? I am also interested in hearing at what age you switched over and whether you do a feed once or twice a day- thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeezSK Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 My dog doesn't really roll in it and doesn't really eat it but for some reason last spring when she found a baby's diaper from the year before that had just finishing unthawing she decided to eat the contents of that. The smell was so bad I actually threw up. This is making me gag just thinking about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 About the tripe (it should be The Tripe, really, it's the King of all Tripes and feeding time is approaching - gag...): I don't do anything with it, except cut it up so the temptation to shake it (yes they do!!!) will be gone. Mercifully The Tripe has already come in small pieces. You can give them any kind of raw meat (assuming you live in the US; pork can be a problem in Europe). There's a lot of information about raw feeding to be found on these boards, if you try the search function. I started it when Kessie was about one and a half years old. That's when I first heard of it, otherwise I'd have done it earlier. Btw, some dogs never stop rolling ...but some do, and luckily Kessie is one of them. Our new addition, Kyla, still rolls in the same stuff that Mark's dog seems to like so much, only she doesn't have so much white (green...) so it doesn't look half as spectacular Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack & Co. Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 BeezSK, I laughed when I read your post. You gaggers! My son is a gagger and I'm sure if I read your diaper post to him right now he would throw up just hearing about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Some dogs do and some dogs don't (so much). Some grow out of it and some don't. One thing that can help is to teach your dog a "leave it" command and the younger you do this, the better it works. Toss a bit of something (kibble, whatever) on the floor and when your pup/dog approaches, just say "leave it" and put your foot over the treat (that's why something firm and dry works best). As soon as the pup/dog looks up at you, reward with a treat (preferably something more appealing, like a bit of cheese or other higher-value goodie). My Celt learned the command before he was eight weeks old and it has been wonderful - it's not 100% foolproof but it's prevented him from eating and rolling in undesireable things, and it's an essential part of therapy dog training. The secret, once the command has been learned, is to watch your dog's behavior for signs of interest in something you don't want him/her interested in, and use the command when he/she is just thinking about eating or rolling. Once they start the roll, it's like catnip and getting them to stop in mid-roll ecstasy can be difficult. This, in my opinion, is one of the most important commands and safeguards you can teach your dog, along with a recall ("come" or "here") and "lie down". And, yes, as absolutely gross as it sounds, it seems some dogs are totally into rolling in human waste. I don't have much problem hosing/washing off most any animal waste but I'd find the human stuff to set off my gag reflex for sure and send me running for the rubber gloves! Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anda Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Blackie, the dog I had growing up, would roll into gross stuff right after I'd gave her a bath! It made me so mad, coz if the stuff smells bad on the dog, it smells WAAAAY worse once you add hot water to it while you try to wash it off! Beah! Luckely Ouzo has not manifested any tendencies to eat or roll in poo. I pray it stays this way! He does get hyperexcited if he smells female pee and almost drools, but that's another story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Originally posted by Molly'sFriend:To you Mark I can only say thank you for helping me remember the phrase - 'it could be worse!' Thanks again to all. Don Don, I'm glad I could help. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Mark I own several of those special tri colored bc's too! Green is in the standard isn't it? We love poo whatever color we can find! Kristen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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