Labrador Retriever

       Why dogs like to roll on the ground is a question many dog owners want to understand. After bathing them or taking them for a walk, some dogs always like to roll on the grass or mud, making a mess of themselves, which troubles many owners. So what is the reason they always roll on the ground? Let's analyze.

       Everyone knows that a dog's sense of smell can be up to a million times stronger than a human's. Compared to humans’ dull sense of smell, the concepts of pleasant or bad smells are probably very simple and basic to dogs. We are used to bathing dogs, removing dirt and odors from their bodies, and using various shampoos or conditioners to make their fur look glossy and smell nice. This is to satisfy our aesthetic views. Of course, dogs are also happy when others praise them as beautiful, but bathing and making themselves smell good is not originally the dog's intention. When strange smells stick to their body, they feel uncomfortable and instinctively try to restore their original scent as much as possible.

       Dogs once lived together with other wild beasts. Rolling on the ground or even coating themselves with other animals’ feces was likely to bring such scents to their pack, letting companions know there is prey nearby, or to cover their own scent with mud for protection.

       The reason dogs like to roll on the ground may come from ancestral habits, aiming to cover their own scent so they can feel safer.