Why Does My Dog like to Rub Himself on Anything Stinky He Encounters?

Dog-behaviour expert Dr. Ian Dunbar explains just what motivates our canine friends to perform some of their more perplexing actions

By Dr. Ian Dunbar | Illustrations by Jess Golden

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When dogs were hunting, they probably found they got off better if their prey couldn’t smell them. What better disguise than, say, to rub in the feces of what you’re hunting?

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Anonymous said:

it's a cute theory - but i have noticed something: the only stinky dogs i've met are the ones eating commercial food. my dog's on raw food and he is *odourless*. the only time he stinks is when he's been in the creek and then he smells of pond scum. breath - smells warm and damp. i've noticed that certain odours get him "revved up". he gets all bouncy and pants and drools and it's wierd what will do it - WD40 is one of them. i think it's just that certain volatile organic compounds just "hit a nerve", as it were, and send them into a tizzy.

Thu, 10/25/2012 - 20:15