Why does He do these Disgusting Things?
Narrated from: General InfoIt seems our dogs are always doing something that we simply don’t understand. Some of these behaviors are simply puzzling while others may be very annoying. He has a good reason for what he is doing most of the time but it is important for you to understand why he or she is doing the behavior. You pup is doing these things because of his untamed past in most instances and they inherently perform these things simply because nature tells them to. Most of these behaviors have been passed down from wolves and can be tough habits to break.
If we, as humans see something that looks like garbage or a dead animal in various stages of decomposition we tend to step around it but your dog’s instinct is to roll in it. Dogs are lured by the pungent odor the same way we are repulsed by it but they do have an instinctual reason for this behavior. Dogs are animals of prey and they are very cunning hunters. As wolves they had no choice but to hunt and kill their prey or they would surely starve. Your freshly groomed, sweet smelling pup will roll in the most disgusting thing they can find to cover their own scent in an effort to better surprise their prey. Changing this behavior will be a very difficult task and the best thing to do is to find the smelly things before he does and steer clear!
Not nearly as repulsive is the habit of eating grass but it is still a nasty habit. You would probably never consider eating your lawn but your dog sees it as a gourmet meal! Canines are omnivores which mean they enjoy meat and vegetables. Your lawn looks to him like a field of greens. For dogs a feast on grass, sticks and even dirt is appealing. His practice is perfectly normal even though it may not make your mouth water! You can allow some of this behavior, but only in moderation. If your dog binges on a meal of grass, it usually means he has an upset stomach. The chloroform in grass in larger doses will help him to empty his stomach and alleviate his discomfort.
When your dog eats excrement he is doing what his ancestors did and as nasty as it may seem to you, it is actually a delight to them. Most dogs at some point in time will eat feces. Some dogs may clear the cat box and some may eat their own but there are some very good reasons for this behavior. Wolves, even though they lived in the wild, had a habit of cleaning up after themselves and cleaning up their own mess was part of the process. Sometimes in the harsh winter months those steaming pile of excrement was the only warm food they could find. There are nutrients still in it and the wolves ate it to keep themselves alive. Granted it may make you have second thoughts about getting kisses from your favorite pooch but know it is natural behavior. When you catch them in the act you can offer something a little tastier to distract them and you can eventually stop this behavior.