Why Did He Do That?!

I was out with my buddy, Loki, last Saturday.  It was a beautiful morning, actually on the cooler side which was a nice change from the crazy hot weather we've been having.  At one point Loki sniffed the air, then he dropped and began rolling around on the wet grass, smiling ear to ear, and really enjoying himself.  A woman pushing a stroller walked by us and then stopped, apparently because she couldn't figure out why I was letting Loki just roll around.  She actually asked me, "Why in the world is your dog rolling around like that?! Is he okay?!" Clearly not a dog owner, amiright? She asked if he was having a seizure!  That quite literally cracked me up. No, I told her.  He's not having a seizure. He's having a moment of joy!  The grass is wet and it feels good to roll around.  Plus, Loki knows if he grins my direction while rolling, I'll lean down and scratch his tummy and armpits, his favorite thing in the world.  She still looked perplexed as she walked away, shaking her head, but that's okay.  Dogs aren't for everybody!  And here's the truth of the matter:  Dogs roll around for many reasons beyond the joy of wet grass.

Dogs roll on the ground because their world is based in scents.  A dog who's just been bathed/groomed will roll around (if allowed to) drying himself off in the process.  Some dogs roll around post grooming, even if they are dry, as they are trying to get rid of the "clean dog smell" in favor of something more earthy and "normal," or familiar, from their perspective. Dogs will roll in mud or damp leaves to cool off.  They'll roll in smelly things like seaweed, horse manure, and cow patties for the joy of smelling like those delightfully stinky things.  They may also be doing so to disguise their own scent. So, rolling dries them, cools them, gets rid of a smell, adds a new smell, and of course, brings them joy.

And then, there are the dogs like Henley.  Henley rolls on his back to scratch.  He has a lot of allergies (it's why I bathe him twice a week!), but rolling on his back allows him to scratch spots he can't reach.  And Ozzie?  He rolls around, mostly rubbing his face, as he likes to clean up his mouth post water or food that way. So my two dogs are rolling around as some kind of individualized grooming ritual. It's interesting to me that after Ozzie has done this face cleaning, or Henley has scratched his back by rolling on the rug, each of them will go to that spot, drop down for a deep sniff, and often paw that spot.  Clearly, rolling around like that has left the other dog's scent behind and they know it!

I really do enjoy watching dogs do, well, just what dogs do.  And it is kind of fun when you meet someone who isn't a dog person as their perception of what us dog owners see everyday is quite different. Just for fun, share why your dogs roll around or if they even might be the ones sleeping on their backs, all four feet up in the air!

And as always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here's Loki, post-roll, getting his scritches in!