Apparently, it’s some instinctual behavior. They roll in something smelly and gross to help mask their scent which gives them an advantage when hunting.
My dog prefers to roll in dead things. Dead birds are her favorite. Always a pleasant ride home after that.
Sorry for tagging a disgusting story to your post … but: Friend’s dog, off leash in the big city part found, rolled in and ate poo it found. Turns out it was a homeless man’s who was a drug addict. Dog started to OD. He carried to poo covered do to his car for a run to the vet but the dog vomited all over his back seat. Happy for his dog’s health but stuck cleaning homeless poo dog vomit out of his car. Again, really sorry!
What’s it been, like 40,000 years of turning wolf into an empathetic, protective companion able to read our facial expressions, bond with us socially, work with us, love us, guard our babies… but we never managed to get rid of the “roll in shit” instinct. Darn fluffy goofballs.
I’ve wondered this before: most animals have a sense of smell magnitudes stronger Than humans. But I’ve also seen situations where smells are so bad the humans are reaching but the animals don’t care.
Do animals not have the same “gross” reactionary instinct?
I’ve thought about this also. I assumed we evolved to be grossed out by things if they are dangerous or poisonous. The ones who loved the smell of sulphur or rotting flesh …didn’t make it.
