Dog Rolling in Smelly Things: Why Does He Do It?

In brief

Almost every dog owner knows the moment: the dog stops, sniffs, drops a shoulder and throws himself with obvious delight onto a dead fish, fox poop or freshly spread manure. Why dogs do this, nobody knows for sure. Four things matter. First: there are several explanations, from masking their own odor to bringing back information to perfuming themselves, but none of them has been studied directly in pet dogs. Second: the few studies come from other animals; in one experiment wolves rolled most in perfume and motor oil, not in prey odor, and hyenas that smelled of carrion got more attention from their group mates. Third: rolling isn’t just gross; it can put parasite eggs and germs into the coat. Fourth: what helps most is good management with recall, a leash at known spots and an alternative outlet for the nose, while punishment tends to shift the problem elsewhere.

This guide shows what rolling looks like, which hypotheses exist and what speaks for each, what health risks are involved, and how to keep your dog from rolling in everyday life and get him clean again afterward without drama.

1. What rolling looks like

In many dogs, rolling in odors follows a surprisingly fixed sequence. First the dog gets stuck at one spot and sniffs intensely, often longer than usual. Then he lowers his head and usually makes contact with his cheek, neck or shoulder first. He pushes himself across the odor, turns onto his back, paddles his legs in the air and rubs his neck and back back and forth. Afterward he often shakes, sniffs again and repeats the whole thing, completely absorbed.

In the scientific literature this behavior is called “scent rubbing” or “scent rolling.” It isn’t limited to dogs. It has been described in wolves, hyenas, cats and many other mammals.

In practice: typical triggers are carrion, dead fish and birds, poop from foxes, wild boar or other dogs, slurry and manure, but also vomit or freshly fertilized meadows. Not all rolling has to do with odors. Many dogs also roll after a bath, on freshly mown grass, in snow or simply on the carpet. That often serves to dry off or scratch. This guide is about deliberate rolling in strong odors.

👉 Canine olfaction and dog behavior

2. Why do dogs roll? The hypotheses

The most important point first: we did not find a study that specifically examines rolling in pet dogs. Everything you read in advice columns is hypothesis, mostly carried over from observations in other species. The following sections show what speaks for and against each one.

2.1 What an experiment with wolves shows

The most relevant work for dogs dates from the 1980s. Ryon et al. (1986) presented two groups totaling 15 wolves with eight odors that were new to them, from four classes: herbivore feces, carnivore feces, food and manufactured odors. The question was whether the wolves simply roll in anything new or whether the type of odor matters.

The result was clear. The wolves rolled most in perfume and motor oil. In second place came carnivore feces, namely from cougar and black bear. Salt pork elicited a single rub from one animal, tuna oil none at all. Herbivore feces, in this case from aoudad sheep and horses, wasn’t used for rolling at all. Odors the wolves rolled in tended not to be tasted, and vice versa. With repeated presentation, rolling decreased slightly, most clearly with perfume and motor oil.

The authors suggest that three kinds of odors in particular trigger rolling: odors that don’t occur in the wolf’s normal environment, familiar odors that have changed in character, and odors that strongly attract or repel the animal. That is an interpretation, not proof, but apparently it isn’t simply about prey odor.

2.2 Masking their own odor

The best-known explanation goes like this: the dog covers up his own odor so he can sneak up on prey unnoticed during a hunt. It sounds plausible but hasn’t been studied. The wolf experiment speaks against a simple version of this idea: herbivore feces, that is, from potential prey, didn’t trigger any rolling there, while perfume and motor oil triggered the most (Ryon et al., 1986). However, these weren’t animals these wolves would ever have hunted, and feces isn’t the same as carrion. Whether a wolf that smells of carrion hunts more successfully is something nobody has measured.

2.3 Carrying information back to the group

A second idea: the animal brings an odor back home and so tells the other group members what it found along the way, such as a food source. There is one hint for this, though not from dogs. Drea et al. (2002) presented captive spotted hyenas with various odors. The hyenas sniffed all odors equally often but preferentially licked prey odors and rolled mainly in odors of animal origin.

In a second part, the researchers applied the odors directly to the coats of individual hyenas. When the animals smelled of carrion, they got more attention from their pen mates: they were sniffed more often and groomed more often. When they smelled of camphor instead, the usual greeting ceremony was cut short (Drea et al., 2002). This shows that an odor brought back can change the behavior of others. Whether hyenas roll for that reason is not proven by this.

In practice: many owners describe other dogs in the household sniffing a freshly rolled dog extensively. That fits the hyena study but hasn’t been studied systematically in dogs.

2.4 Perfuming themselves: status and a personal scent mark

A third explanation sees rolling as a kind of self-advertisement. In a theoretical paper, Gosling and McKay (1990) proposed that male mammals rub themselves in odors from their environment to signal their status. The idea: rivals compare an animal’s odor with the odors at a defended territory or resource. In scent marking, the odor comes from the animal itself; in scent rubbing, it comes from the environment. Rolling could make the animal’s own odor more complex or extend its range.

This is explicitly a hypothesis, not a measurement in dogs. It refers to males in competition and does a poor job of explaining why females, neutered males and puppies also roll in odors. It hasn’t been tested in pet dogs.

2.5 Protection through anointing?

In some animals, rubbing odors onto the body demonstrably serves as protection. The best example comes from cats. Uenoyama et al. (2021) showed that cats rub against catnip and silver vine and roll on the ground because these plants contain a particular odorant. Through rubbing, the substance gets onto the cat’s face and head, where it repels mosquitoes.

So anointing can have a benefit. But this can’t be carried over to dogs and carrion. That carrion or poop protects dogs from insects or parasites is not supported and, given the germs they contain, rather unlikely.

2.6 Simply because it pays off

The simplest explanation: rolling feels good to the dog, regardless of what it may once have been for. The cat study at least shows that the triggering odorant raised blood levels of beta-endorphin, a substance of the body’s own reward system, and that the typical rubbing was weaker when the matching opioid receptors were blocked (Uenoyama et al., 2021). This hasn’t been studied for dogs and carrion.

In practice: the possibility that rolling is rewarding in itself matters for training. It might help explain why some dogs find it so attractive, but this has not been demonstrated for a particular dog. Management and well-rewarded alternative behaviors are therefore reasonable practical approaches.

3. Health: when rolling becomes a problem

3.1 Parasite eggs in the coat

Poop from other dogs and from foxes can contain eggs of intestinal parasites. A review on roundworms, hookworms and whipworms describes how dogs and humans are typically infected by infective stages from the environment, and how soil and grass in parks, green areas and playgrounds are frequently contaminated with them worldwide (Traversa et al., 2014).

That roundworm eggs also occur in dogs’ coats has been studied. Keegan and Holland (2010) took hair samples from the head, neck, back and anal area of 184 owned dogs. They found roundworm eggs on 8.8 percent of the dogs, and older dogs were affected more often than dogs under one year of age. None of the eggs, however, had developed far enough to be infective, and the authors rate the risk from contact with well-cared-for dogs as low. Rolling wasn’t recorded in this study. Whether a dog that has rolled in poop carries more eggs in his coat hasn’t been measured, then, but it seems likely.

In practice: a dirty coat can increase contact with various pathogens through licking or unwashed hands. For roundworms, freshly passed eggs are generally not yet infective and need time to develop in the environment. Keegan and Holland (2010) therefore do not demonstrate an immediate infection risk from rolling. Thorough washing after contact with feces, appropriate parasite prevention and hand hygiene are sensible.

👉 Deworming or fecal testing?

3.2 Carrion, poop and germs

In practice: besides worm eggs, carrion and poop can contain bacteria and other pathogens, such as Giardia in other dogs’ feces. The dog doesn’t take in these germs directly by rolling. It becomes critical when he then eats from the carcass, licks his coat clean or eats poop. If your dog gets diarrhea, vomits or seems lethargic after a find, talk to your veterinary practice and mention what he found.

👉 Giardia in dogs

3.3 Skin, eyes and toxins

In practice: slurry, manure, freshly fertilized or sprayed fields and shorelines with oil or chemical residues can irritate the skin. After rolling, watch for red patches, heavy scratching or watery eyes. Poison baits or poisoned animal carcasses are a particular risk. If your dog shows trembling, drooling, vomiting, staggering or other unusual signs after contact with a find, that’s an emergency for the veterinary practice. If his skin has touched unknown substances, rinse thoroughly with water.

4. What helps: management and training

Since the causes haven’t been established, there is also no study testing a method against rolling. The following steps are therefore practical experience from training. The principle: reduce opportunities, interrupt early, offer something better.

4.1 Know the hotspots and prevent

In practice: most dogs have favorite spots: shorelines with washed-up fish, forest edges with game trails, meadows after fertilizing, paths used by lots of dogs. Remember where your dog has rolled, and put him on a leash or long line there before he finds anything. That way he can keep sniffing but can’t race off and throw himself in. The long line doesn’t replace training, but it prevents rolling from paying off again and again in the meantime.

4.2 Read the warning signs

In practice: in some dogs, early signs of rolling can be recognized. The dog suddenly stops, sniffs very intensely at one spot, circles with his nose and then lowers his head or shoulder. In this brief moment an interruption is still possible. Once he’s on his back, it’s usually too late.

4.3 Recall and reorientation with reward

In practice: recall is the most important tool, but it has to hold up against a very strong stimulus. So practice it first in easy situations and increase the distraction slowly. Reward a recall away from a tempting odor exceptionally well, for example with especially coveted food or a short game. Don’t call only once the dog is already lying in the carrion, but at the first warning signs.

👉 Recall training

4.4 Build an alternative behavior

In practice: instead of only telling your dog what not to do, give him something he can do instead. What works well is letting the dog indicate an exciting odor, for example by stopping or turning to you, and rewarding him for it. That way he can sniff the find thoroughly without throwing himself in. Reward it so well that it can compete with rolling.

4.5 Give the nose an outlet

It makes sense to give the nose targeted work. Whether nosework reduces rolling hasn’t been studied. There is, however, a hint that nosework is valuable for dogs. Duranton and Horowitz (2019) had 20 pet dogs train either nosework or a different exercise for two weeks. After nosework, the dogs approached an ambiguous stimulus faster, which is interpreted as a more optimistic outlook. In the comparison group, this didn’t change.

In practice: food searches, tracking or scent discrimination tire many dogs out nicely and at the same time give you more control over sniffing on walks. Permitted sniffing at harmless spots is part of this too.

5. Washing without stress

In practice: once it has happened, composure helps first. Your dog is more likely to connect anger in your voice with the washing or with you than with the rolling, which is already over. For known hotspots, keep an old towel, a bottle of water and disposable gloves in the car. You can wipe off coarse residue with grass or a cloth, then rinse the spot with lukewarm water.

In practice: it’s often enough to wash only the affected area rather than the whole dog. You only need shampoo for strong odors or greasy residue, and then a mild dog shampoo, rinsed out thoroughly. Avoid the eyes and ears. With fish odor or slurry, you sometimes have to wash twice. If your dog doesn’t like baths, practice bathing in small steps with reward, separately from rolling, so that not every roll ends in an unpleasant experience. Towel him off well afterward.

👉 Grooming your dog without stress

6. Why punishment isn’t the answer

Loud scolding or a jerk on the leash can interrupt rolling in the moment. The question is what your dog learns from it, and at what cost.

In practice: punishment usually comes too late, when the dog has already rolled. Even if it comes in time, he doesn’t learn what to do instead. Many dogs instead learn to roll farther away or out of sight, or they come back more hesitantly when called because returning to you has become unpleasant. A reliable recall is built through reward, not pressure.

👉 Punishment fallout in dogs

7. A note on the evidence

As far as our research shows, there is no dedicated study on rolling in pet dogs. One particularly relevant study in canids is the experiment with 15 wolves that were presented with eight odors (Ryon et al., 1986). Odors like carrion weren’t included, and the results can’t simply be carried over to dogs. The hyena study (Drea et al., 2002) was conducted with captive animals and shows a social effect of the odor, but not that hyenas roll for that reason. The status hypothesis (Gosling & McKay, 1990) is a theoretical paper without its own data. The cat study (Uenoyama et al., 2021) concerns a plant compound and cats and is mentioned only as an example of a possible benefit of anointing.

The work on roundworm eggs in the coat (Keegan & Holland, 2010) examined 184 owned dogs and didn’t record whether they had rolled. The review on environmental contamination (Traversa et al., 2014) describes parasites in soil, not in the coat. The nosework study (Duranton & Horowitz, 2019) included only 20 dogs, used an indirect measure of mood and didn’t test whether nosework reduces rolling. All advice on management, training, washing and health warning signs is therefore marked as practical experience.

8. Conclusion

Why dogs roll in carrion and poop hasn’t been established. The common explanations are hypotheses, mostly carried over from other animals. It may well be that several reasons work together and that rolling is rewarding to the dog in itself. For everyday life that means: you’ll hardly stop the behavior completely, but you can get it well under control.

The three things that make the difference:

Prevent instead of cleaning up. Know the hotspots, use a leash or long line there, recognize the warning signs early.

Make a better offer. Recall and an alternative behavior with strong rewards, nosework as an outlet.

Stay calm. No punishment, wash calmly, and ask your veterinary practice if there are warning signs.

Key takeaways on dogs rolling in smelly things

There is no dedicated study on pet dogs. All common explanations for rolling are hypotheses carried over from other species.

Wolves rolled most in manufactured odors. Perfume and motor oil triggered more rolling than carnivore feces, and herbivore feces triggered none (Ryon et al., 1986).

An odor brought back changes the behavior of others. Hyenas that smelled of carrion were sniffed and groomed more often by group mates (Drea et al., 2002).

The status hypothesis is theory. Rolling could add to an animal’s own odor and signal status, but this hasn’t been tested in dogs (Gosling & McKay, 1990).

Anointing can protect, but not with carrion. When rolling, cats transfer a mosquito-repellent plant compound to their coat (Uenoyama et al., 2021).

Parasite eggs can end up in the coat. Roundworm eggs were found in the coats of 8.8 percent of 184 dogs, none of them infective (Keegan & Holland, 2010).

Working on a behavior problem with your dog? Our step-by-step dog behavior workbooks cover leash reactivity, being left alone, resource guarding, two-dog households, barking at passersby and noise fear.

References

• Drea, C. M., Vignieri, S. N., Cunningham, S. B., & Glickman, S. E. (2002). Responses to olfactory stimuli in spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta): I. Investigation of environmental odors and the function of rolling. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 116(4), 331–341. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7036.116.4.331
• Duranton, C., & Horowitz, A. (2019). Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive judgment bias in pet dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 211, 61–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2018.12.009
• Gosling, L. M., & McKay, H. V. (1990). Scent-rubbing and status signalling by male mammals. Chemoecology, 1(3–4), 92–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01241649
• Keegan, J. D., & Holland, C. V. (2010). Contamination of the hair of owned dogs with the eggs of Toxocara spp. Veterinary Parasitology, 173(1–2), 161–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.06.010
• Ryon, J., Fentress, J. C., Harrington, F. H., & Bragdon, S. (1986). Scent rubbing in wolves (Canis lupus): The effect of novelty. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 64(3), 573–577. https://doi.org/10.1139/z86-084
• Traversa, D., Frangipane di Regalbono, A., Di Cesare, A., La Torre, F., Drake, J., & Pietrobelli, M. (2014). Environmental contamination by canine geohelminths. Parasites & Vectors, 7, Article 67. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-67
• Uenoyama, R., Miyazaki, T., Hurst, J. L., Beynon, R. J., Adachi, M., Murooka, T., Onoda, I., Miyazawa, Y., Katayama, R., Yamashita, T., Kaneko, S., Nishikawa, T., & Miyazaki, M. (2021). The characteristic response of domestic cats to plant iridoids allows them to gain chemical defense against mosquitoes. Science Advances, 7(4), Article eabd9135. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd9135

Note: This guide does not replace individual advice. If your dog shows trembling, vomiting, diarrhea, staggering or skin irritation after contact with a find, have him examined by a veterinarian right away.

Frequently asked questions about dogs rolling in smelly things

Causes, health and training