I would wager that every dog has had an incident on a stroll where they paused to smell the roses—and then proceeded to stop, drop, and roll about in something a bit… pungent. Furthermore, faeces are almost always included, with fox faeces being among the biggest offenders. Despite the fact that everyone avoids your dog when they have a bad case of the stinks and the scent lingers in your car or house, your dog nonetheless looks proud of their accomplishment. But why do dogs enjoy rolling in fox poop, and can we prevent them from doing so?
WHY DO DOGS ROLL IN FOX POO?
Nobody knows for sure why dogs roll in fox poop, but many people think it’s a totally normal, albeit unhygienic, behaviour. There are a few hypotheses regarding why your pooch can have a penchant for poo too.
A CUNNING DISGUISE
The most widely accepted explanation for why dogs enjoy rolling about in fox poop is that it is a remnant of their natural hunting instinct. Dogs, like wolves, may enjoy rolling in faeces as a means of masking their scent, it is thought.
The fact that dogs are keenly attracted to the odours of their prey—and especially to the odours of urine and feces—provides support for this hypothesis. The idea is that if your dog rolls in the droppings of an animal it might be hunting, it will take on the scent of that animal and be able to get closer without being noticed. It makes sense, as you wouldn’t want your prey to smell the wolf and flee if you were hunting them.
Dogs and wolves have both been reported rolling on dead animals (yuck!) for what may be the same reason: to cover their own scent with that of something less menacing.
However, foxes aren’t usually thought of as prey, so there must be other factors influencing your puppy’s desire to suffocate themselves in odours. For instance, research has documented both wild dogs and young wolves rubbing themselves on the bodies of their own species. Perhaps it’s so they can better blend in with that dog’s pack. Or perhaps to make themselves seem more intimidating by emanating the scent of a fully grown animal. There is not enough data at this time to determine the precise motivations behind their actions.
It’s interesting to note that most dog breeds slather the stench all over their necks, shoulders, and backs. Dogs that have rolled in fox faeces have likely done some strange rollicking and rolling to cover their backs with the foul substance, but they almost never roll over to cover their bellies. Once more, the cause is unknown.
SHOW AND TELL
Dogs may roll in fox poop as a method to bring the odour back to their pack, according to another idea. I don’t see why they would put on such a stale demonstration.
It may be a way for their packmates to get a whiff of the fragrance and then retrace their steps to the source of the odour.
A dog may be doing this simply to demonstrate his or her superiority. Your dog may roll in poop to show the other dogs in the pack that he or she has been exploring the outdoors and has found something interesting. It’s like taking pictures of your dog on vacation.
PUNGENT PERFUME
One of the simplest explanations is that dogs enjoy the smell of fox poop and therefore enjoy rolling in it.
While most people wouldn’t dream of rubbing fox poop all over their bodies, they do enjoy spraying perfume on their necks. It’s possible that your dog enjoys the aroma of eau de fox and would like to adopt that as their signature scent, much like how we humans use a wide variety of fragrant shower gels, deodorants, and sprays to appeal to our own sense of smell.
Animal behaviourists have pondered whether or if the release of dopamine when rolling in faeces makes the disgusting behaviour seem more appealing to some dogs. That is, if your dog is a member of the family.
Keep in mind that canines do not share our human perspective on the world. In addition to being distinct from our own, a dog’s visual perception is not even their primary sense. In its place, your dog takes in the aromas of the outside world. The canine nose is between ten thousand and one hundred thousand times more sensitive than the human nose. It’s possible that the smell of fox poop is just as fantastic to them as Mr. Fox is to us, even though we can’t understand (or smell) why they’d be interested in it.
Some have speculated that this relates to the idea that dogs wear perfume to hide their scent. You’ve probably noticed that after your dog gets a bath, he or she likes to roll around on the carpet, grass, or whatever they can find. This isn’t just a nervous habit; sometimes people do it to restore their natural scent after a wash. You may have chosen a shampoo with a blueberry or baby powder scent, but your dog may be rolling in stinky things to give themselves a scent that is more appealing or natural to them.
WHAT DOES FOX POO LOOK LIKE?
However revolting it may seem, you should investigate the source of your dog’s faeces to determine what species the faeces belong to. Fox poop looks similar to dog poop but is typically much deeper in colour and has twisted, pointed edges if it is indeed fox poop. Moreover, it will have a strong, distinctive fox aroma that will be impossible to ignore.
CAN DOGS EAT FOX POO?
Dogs may actually suffer injury from fox excrement. If they roll about in the poo and then lick it off, they can swallow whatever is in there. Additionally, some dogs go so far as to eat fox faeces, which means they are also eating any infections that may be there.
IS FOX POO EATING BAD FOR DOGS?
Oftentimes, dogs need more than just a good roll in the nasty stuff. Some dogs have the terrible habit of eating everything they find laying around, and fox faeces is especially problematic because your pup could pick up any number of diseases or parasites the fox might be harbouring.
It’s possible that if your dog eats fox faeces, they’ll pick up:
Lungworm \sRoundworm
Hookworms \sTapeworm
Toxocariasis and Echinococcosis are two illnesses caused by these worms that can be transmitted from animals to people.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR DOG ROLLS IN FOX POO?
After your dog has rolled in fox poop, you can only wash it off and hope it doesn’t come back. When out for walks with your dog, it’s a good idea to pack some dog-friendly wet wipes to use on the way back to the car or house. Alternatively, if you don’t have something better at hand, you may try to improvise and remove the worst of it with whatever you find lying about, such as some moss, but you might end up rubbing it around instead.
It’s a good idea to give your dog a quick rinse before getting into the car, and you can do this with the hose in the garden or with a bottle of water from the car.
If not, you’ll have to hold out until you can give your dog a good scrub in the bathtub. Use a dog-specific mild shampoo and give your pet a good scrubbing to get rid of the unpleasant odour and any traces of faeces.
HOW DO I STOP MY DOG FROM ROLLING IN FOX POO?
If you want to prevent your dog from enjoying the amusement of rolling in fox poop, practising good recall or a firm “leave it” command should help. Call your dog back to you if you think he or she might drop and roll because he or she has been fixated on one location for too long while off leash. They’ll eventually notice and return, hopefully.
The “leave it” order, meanwhile, will tell your dog to avoid potentially dangerous situations. Anything your dog shouldn’t eat, roll in, or pick up, such as a dropped sandwich, dead animal, trash, or faeces.
When they get too close to something they shouldn’t, tell them to “leave!” and lead them away. If your dog is well-trained, they should obey your command and walk by you. Having them on a lead will also be useful because you can use the lead to gently coax them away or shorten it to prevent them from getting too close.
As a final step, you should search your garden for fox poop and clean it up. Regularly monitoring and removing dog poop from your garden is a must, but while you’re at it, keep an eye out for any other animal poop, such as that left by cats or foxes, and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner so that your dog doesn’t have anything to roll around in.
