Why do dogs roll on dead bugs?
My dogs prefer dead worms in our yard. Why do they have the urge to roll on them?
2 Answers
My dog Loves to roll in many different stinky things like poop, dirt, worms, and dead animals. I try to keep him on a short leash when he tries to roll. This is an instinct trait left from when dogs were wild. They do it to mask their own scent with other less favorable scents to throw off predators.
-Kathleen D.
My dog also does this. He loves to roll in anything that I would deem "gross". This is in dogs DNA to want to cover their scent by rolling in particularly stinky things. Just like how we like the smell of certain things i.e. perfume, fruits, cookies, dogs have preferences too. Typically though, we do not share those preferences.
I avoid letting my dog do this by keeping him on a leash when outside and using the command "leave it" when I see him approaching said smelly stuff.
I've read that dogs do this to attract prey. So, my dog may want to catch birds. It's more likely she'll do this if she smells of dead worms than dog, right?
When I answered this, I did not see the other replies. I can see where all the answers would probably be correct here.