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Why Dogs Roll In Smelly Things
from: Kyle BesserNo one really knows for sure why dogs love to roll in stinky things. People who study animal behavior have some pretty good ideas.
Some experts believe that dogs like to mark themselves with their territory. A dog wearing a bit of rotting carcass or cow poop is a lot like a man wearing a gold chain around his neck. It says something about him and where he lives, something like, "I am a dog of means; I own this territory with all this nice stuff."
It is hard for people to understand how anyone, even a dog, could rate the value of his territory according to its riches of cow pies. This is one of those situations that illustrates how completely different dogs and people are. Most people appreciate things that are clean and fresh, while dogs prefer things that are old and smelly.
There may be a good reason for their tastes. Since the beginning of their existence, dogs have spent their lives scrounging for food. It is possible that even the hint of a good meal triggers a sense of elation. Out of necessity, dogs may have developed a unique appreciation for anything that is remotely edible. A week old carcass certainly qualifies as does a dead fish that washed up on shore. The presence of deer dung suggests that there is a potential meal somewhere in the area.
There may be a simpler reason why dogs enjoy rolling in smelly things that has nothing to do with survival and everything to do with taste. Other experts believe that dogs roll in dung and carcasses simply because they like the smell. They like the smell enough to want to carry it around with them, just as people enjoy wearing their favorite perfume or cologne.
Smell is a primal sense and it is hard to account for who likes what. Just as some people enjoy the smell of coffee, dogs may revel in smells that most of us find objectionable. It is hard to criticize their tastes because dogs have millions more scent receptors than we humans do. Our sense of smell is barely functional compared to a dog's sense of smell. It is possible that dogs detect pleasing odors that people are completely unaware of.
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