When we only had Poquita and she was just a "hamster size" pup, she loved to find drowned earthworms and roll on them. They were her version of roadkill. Yeah, it's instinct and living in a nice, air-conditioned house is not. We humans are stuck in the middle.
p.s. Leave it! works great on our other two, but Poquita is now deaf. Arthritis prevents her from rolling on anything.
Judy & Bud (Judy usually the one talking here)
2004 Pleasure-Way Excel TD
Deb and Ed M wrote: OK - most of the stuff that smells good/"fresh" to us; reeks in a dogs world. If it's strong enough for we incompetent humans to smell it - it's an OVERPOWERING stink to our dogs. So the freshly-washed dogs who's rolling, is sending you a message: they think they stink.
Unfortunately for us, the things that smell delightful to a dog, stink to us. Eau-de-carrion being first on the list of "awesome smells".
But I also agree with Code2high: if you can't recognize the "shoulder-dive" about .5 seconds before it happens and call your dog off - then you need to work on your training!! Because having your dog come back to you - even if it means leaving the most delightful activity ever - is critical. (Says the woman whose daughter's stupid dog ran into the road to roll in a dead skunk - fortunately the cars avoided him) Also - the dog who won't walk away from a dead thing for you, might also not come back when encountering a skunk or a porcupine or a rattlesnake?
Here's a good test of training: can you call your dog back, while chasing a squirrel??
Your dog's life could depend on this.
Exactly. I am not and will never be an advocate for "every dog on a leash at all times," but if you choose to walk your dog off-leash, you need to have a level of control that allows you to call or order the dog away from hazards. Otherwise you're just one temptation away from disaster. And a dog that won't leave something it wants to roll in will certainly not refrain from chasing or break off a chase, or leave something alone that it wants to eat that might be unhealthy or fatal.
susan
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a wabbit, Fuzzy Wuzzy had a dandelion habit! RIP little Wuz... don't go far.
CA POPPY wrote: When we only had Poquita and she was just a "hamster size" pup, she loved to find drowned earthworms and roll on them.
I think this is what Jimmy finds occasionally attractive?? The blessing? He has the nose of a Poodle - usually his dead worms are so far down under the grass, that his attempt to perfume himself goes for naught.... thank goodness!
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