Why Do Dogs Love Rolling in Grass?

At times our canine friends can do the strangest of things which more often than not brings a smile to their owners’ faces. One thing they seem to really enjoy doing is rolling on the grass and will spend minutes savouring the experience whether it's in the garden, in a field or out in the park. They wriggle and squirm on their backs often making some pretty amusing noises as they do. But why do they enjoy doing this so much?

An Inherited Behaviour

Dogs are descended from wolves and are in fact, distant cousins which means they have inherited certain behaviours from them. When a wolf finds a new scent on their territory the first thing they do is investigate just what it is and they do so my sniffing at the odour before rolling in it. This typically involves covering their necks, faces and bodies with the new smell. When the wolf rejoins the pack all the other wolves investigate the new odour and will often track the scent back to where the original mark was found.

Our lovely canine friends have inherited this natural and very ingrained behaviour from their distant cousins and as such when they discover a new and interesting scent, no matter where it happens to be, they feel the need to roll in it too!

A Way of Ridding Themselves of a “Human” Smell

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell. It's this incredibly heightened sense that drives them to do just about everything in their lives. Owners often forget that what might smell really nice to a person, does nothing for their pets and as such when a dog has been given a bath and you think they smell gorgeous, your dog most probably does not agree. The result? Your pet will roll in grass at the first opportunity and in something they believe smells really nice although you might disagree!

Best solution is to use an odourless shampoo and conditioner if and when you have to bath your dog to avoid them going out and finding something really nasty in the grass to roll in which is something they much prefer than a sweet smelling shampoo you might have used on them.

To Get Rid of a Bad Itch

If a dog has a bad itch, there's nothing they enjoy more than rolling in the grass because it's the best way to reach a part of their body they can't otherwise get to. However, if a dog has a skin allergy they start to roll incessantly in the grass (and elsewhere) which can be an indication that it's time for a visit to the vet.

You also need to check your pet to make sure they haven't picked up any fleas or ticks and if they have to treat them with a dog specific product which is something you should do regularly to keep them free of these nasty parasites.

An Obsessive Behaviour

Some dogs develop obsessive behaviours one of which is rolling in grass whenever they can and doing so non-stop. The best way to get your pet out of this habit is to make sure you keep them totally occupied when they are out on a walk by playing lots of interactive games with them. Failing to do this could see your beloved pooch finding lots of stinky areas of grass to roll in which would result in lots of baths. You have to make sure you only use odourless shampoos to make sure you don't encourage your pet to roll on the grass even more!

Lastly, is it Okay for Dogs to Roll on Grass?

All dogs love to roll on the grass from time to time and it's not the grass that presents any danger to them. However, if a lawn has been treated with any sort of chemically-based fertiliser, herbicides or pesticides, then rolling on the grass could cause a skin irritation. Dogs also need to be treated for fleas and ticks or wear a collar to prevent them from picking up nasty parasites when out on a walk. However, if your dog rolls excessively you might want to take them along to the vet to make sure they are not starting with some sort of skin allergy. The sooner a treatment can be started, the quicker your pet would be made more comfortable and therefore less likely to develop an obsessive behaviour of rolling in grass as a way of getting rid of an itch!