Some time, to the vast majority of dog guardians, in some carelessness walking through a park or through some wild area, their canine companion has unexpectedly thrown himself on the ground and has begun to rub on the grass, or at least what seemed to be, but when they got closer and looked closely they realized that there was not only grass, but feces of other animals
If your dog does it too and you want to know why, in this article on our site we will explain why my dog rubs in fecesand what to do to avoid it.
You want to tag your scent
A common marking behavior in dogs occurs through "rubbing" against certain things. Feces, especially dog feces, contain a large number of pheromones that provide a lot of information to other animals.
You may have noticed that your dog first rubs his face through feces, then rolls and rolls with his whole body. This is because dogs have some pheromone-producing glands in their muzzles, so that they not only receive information from the other dog's feces, but also impregnate them with their own pheromones. All of this may also explain why dogs wallow in dead animals, as well as feces.
He wants to camouflage his scent
Although we like our dog to give off a pleasant smell, furry ones usually don't like that much scented shampoos or perfumes that sometimes we put them after the bath. This can make you uncomfortable with your own scent and feel the need to get a more natural at all costs, which is why it is sometimes rubbed into stool.
On the other hand, the need to camouflage their scent is something they also carry in their genes, since their ancestors used to rub in feces or other foul-smelling odors to go unnoticed by their prey. In fact, modern wolves have been shown to do it too.
Wants to get your attention
It is also likely that your dog rubs himself in poop simply because he wants to get your attention. A dog dependent on his guardian will try to get your attention in many ways: barking excessively, crying, howling, taking toys, giving you his paw when you don't ask, tail chasing…and, yes, rubbing in feces.
If your dog knows that he will get your attention through a certain behavior, he may do it repeatedly with the only so that you notice him l. If this is the case, you should try to analyze why your furry needs so much attention. To do this, we leave you here this other article on our site about My dog demands a lot of attention, is it normal?
How to prevent my dog from rolling around in feces?
Perhaps this section is the most important for those who are reading this article. How to avoid this behavior in my dog? The solution is sometimes not simple, but with patience, perseverance and practice, it is always possible to modify a dog's behavior, however ingrained it may be. To do this, we recommend the following:
Watch your dog
Obviously, the first thing is to watch your dog when you go for a walk in a park or a wild area where there is the possibility of coming across feces, especially if the walks are given without a leash. To make the experience even better, we recommend that you teach him the basic obedience commands, such as "stay", "come" or "sit", always with positive reinforcement. In this way, you can quickly stop your dog when you see it approaching some excrement.
Positive reinforcement
In relation to the previous point, when your dog responds correctly to basic behavior commands, it is best to reward them with positive reinforcement, either with kind words, caresses or prizes, which you can take with you on walks. Positive reinforcement can be your great ally to prevent your dog from rubbing in poop.
Use a neutral shampoo
If we believe that the problem is in the shampoo we use to bathe him, it is best to opt for one with a neutral scent so that it does not bother himand, thus, prevent it from trying to camouflage it with smelly elements such as feces.
If you have doubts about which shampoo to use or you don't know how to redirect your furry's behavior, it is best to go to the vet.
Visit an ethologist
If you have noticed that your dog rubs himself in the feces just to get your attention, our advice is to go to an ethologist to help you regain your pet's emotional stability.
