Dogs are gross

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We love ‘em, but they are also rather disgusting at times. These often cuddly four-legged furry creatures we share our homes with bring us a lot of joy. But they can also bring a lot of mess. And, if you have a queasy stomach, they can be rather distressing at times. Let’s take a look at some of their yuckiest qualities, discuss why they do those things, and what we can do about it.

Rolling in gross things

My dogs do this (okay, if I start doing that, I’ll probably say it for most of the things in the list - so I’ll stop right here). My dogs are black and white. Mostly white. Except when there’s horse poop around. Then, Juno turns a lovely shade of green. And she’s never happier. Of course, I’m not very happy about having to ride home with her in the car or having to give her a bath as soon as we get home. And I see dogs rolling in gross things on hikes, at dog parks, and on their daily walks much to the chagrin of their owners. I gave a dog a freeze-dried minnow recently and he dropped it and rolled around on it before eating it.

So, why do they do that? We aren’t 100% certain on this one. It’s one of the times we wish we could ask the dog what they are thinking. One popular guess is that they are trying to pick up a scent that they like. I find that hypothesis a bit lacking though. I think the concept that a dog is trying to adorn themselves a bit suspicious. Another possibility is that they are trying to cover up their own scent with this new smell. We’re aware of other built-in software that animals needed thousands of years ago but which just sticks around. And maybe that’s what’s going on here. When dogs were living in the wild (as early dogs or even before that as wolves) covering their scent could have been helpful for sneaking up on prey.

So, what can we do? Be watchful. I’ve usually been able to interrupt rolling in something before my dogs have actually rolled now that I know what body language indicates they are about to do it. I just call them away (and since they have great recall, they come).

Eating gross things

I’ve seen dogs eat dead animals which have been laying in the sun for several days. I’ve seen them eat their own vomit - or another dog’s. It sometimes seems they’ll eat anything. The smellier, the better. Of course, they don’t appear to think these things smell bad. Or taste bad. If they did think they smelled or tasted bad, they wouldn’t eat them. So, why do they do this? Because they think it tastes good. It’s pretty straightforward.

Now let’s talk about Coprophagia (eating feces). This one seems to really push buttons. Perhaps for that reason, it’s been studied more than consumption of other things we find disturbing. Dr. Karen Overall states that “Most dogs that are coprphagic are not fed a diet that is deficient in essential nutrients of vitamins, nor do they have a pancreatic enzyme disorder…most of the dogs that are coprophagic do not have a physiological, gastrointestinal basis for this behavior.” (1) If you ask on social media how to stop this, it won’t be long before someone tells you to add pineapple to the dog’s diet or to use one of the various products that are available at pet stores. Though it’s unlikely to hurt anything, there’s little evidence that these actually work. So why do they do it? As unsettling as it is to imagine, it’s likely they eat poop for the same reason they eat other things we consider gross - they like it.

So what can we do? While out for a walk, be aware of your surroundings. It’s possible that your dog might find something to eat that’s actually dangerous. It’s our job to protect them in those moments. And if you’re already doing that, you’ll likely also be able to see when they are interested in something that’s “merely” disgusting though not actually dangerous. Then, you’ll have the opportunity to intervene by calling them away, leading them away, or gently blocking them from getting to the yucky stuff. And for Coprophagia, the best solution is to keep your yard cleaned up.

One more note: In addition to Coprophagia, there’s something called Pica. “Pica is the ingestion of nonnutritive, nonfood items.” (2) Eating such things might or might not be gross. But Pica is cause for concern since it could be dangerous. A common item that dogs with Pica eat is rocks. And rocks certainly aren’t digestible. They (or other nonfood items) could cause life-threatening blockages. Likewise, Coprophagia comes with the risk of parasite transmission and dogs who partake should be checked for parasites by your vet on a regular basis.

Sniffing butts and crotches - of other dogs or humans

People often get embarrassed by this completely normal behavior. Dogs perceive the world more by smell than by sight (like humans do). Sniffing gives them a lot of information about others. So, don’t be grossed out - try to be understanding. And if you’re interested in how important smell is to a dog, check out the fascinating and informative book, “Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell” by Alexandra Horowitz.

But what can we do? Just because it’s normal doesn’t mean it’s always okay. We can teach dogs to do something we prefer when they meet our friends. A good trainer can help you teach your dog to sit when meeting humans, for instance.

Getting filthy

Most people wouldn’t consider this quite as loathsome as the other things listed above. But some would. In either case, dogs who share our homes do need some grooming at times. Very little (besides horse poop) makes my dogs happier than tromping through a muddy field and they are often quite dirty when they’ve had a good romp. Different dog coats require different amounts of care. Some dogs have coats that seem to shed dirt on the way home from a long hike (I’m fortunate to live with dogs like this) and others require frequent brushing, bathing, and clipping. Keeping them relatively clean is a welfare issue and our dogs deserve at least this.

So, what do we do? Teach dogs to love getting a bath, having their coats brushed (and, while you’re at it, teach them to enjoy having their teeth brushed and their nails trimmed). If you need to help teaching your dogs these things, let me know.

At times, dogs really are gross. And still, we love them.

(1) Karen L. Overall, Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, Page 264
(2) ibid, Page 267

Coprophagia, smelling butts, smelling crotches, eating dead things