Tim is a Border Collie who Rolls

On one of our walks this weekend I saw Tim suddenly throw himself down on the ground and then his feet flew up into the air.  I knew right then that we were in trouble.

Border Collie Rolling in the Grass

Tim isn't a dog who likes to just roll in the fresh grass.  He only rolls when he finds something he likes to roll in and he only likes to roll in things that are smelly and nasty.

A Border Collie After Taking a Roll

When Tim is done rolling, he jumps up covered in something disgusting and looks happy and very pleased with himself.

Deer Poop

An inspection of the site where Tim rolled reveals the roll-worthy stuff - deer poop!

Dog After Rolling in Deer Poop

Why do dogs roll in smelly stuff?

No one really knows for sure why some dogs like to roll in smelly things.  There are numerous theories.  It is possible that the nasty stuff smells so good to Tim that he wants to smell just like that - in other words, it is doggie cologne.  Since Tim has a strong prey drive and is quite a rodent hunter I tend to believe another possible theory that he going back to the ancient instincts and is trying to hide his "wolf scent" from prey.

Dog Shame Photo - I Rolled in Something Smelly and Disgusting

Of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to do a dog shame photo.  As you can see from Tim's smiling face, it doesn't bother him one tiny bit to be shamed.

Bath Time for Tim the Border Collie

As you can see from his expression, Tim is not as pleased with what comes later - a bath!  However, as smart as he is, Tim either doesn't make the connection between rolling and the subsequent bath or perhaps the joy of rolling is just too great to resist even if he means he will have to suffer through a bath later.  Since this is a fairly frequent occurrence with Tim, he gets bathed often.  He has rather sensitive skin, so we have tried several dog shampoos and Earthbath All Natural Dog Shampoo, Oatmeal & Aloe is our favorite.

Sometimes if he rolls in something when we are hiking, at the beach or camping and must take him back home in the car before we can bathe him, I also keep some Earthbath All Natural Hypo-Allergenic and Fragrance-Free Grooming Wipes in my car and trailer to do a quick clean-up.

Do you have a dog who rolls?