My Weimaraners doing strange things

Question
Well, I know that all weimers are strange, but seriously, he's engaged in a strange activity 2 mornings in a row, and frankly I'm concerned that it may be health related. . .

He keeps rubbing himself in his feaces (Sp?) and then feeling quilty about it.  My husband says that this act is called "scenting", however, as he has been more tired then usual, I'm wondering if maybe he's not feeling well.

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions about this behavior?  Would greatly appreciate your input!

Kind regards,
Dina & Mike Wills (and Cole too)!  

Answer
Hi Dina,Mike and Cole!

For some reason, dogs love to roll in something smelly. Of course, owners don't like this, but is seems to be a basic behavior trait of the canine. The reason may be a basic instinct going back to wolves and wild dogs.

Sometimes dogs will roll in something smelly right after getting a bath. Some dog shampoos have perfumes that may be pleasant to humans but smell awful to the animal. It is just an effort to mask the unpleasant and un-dog-like odor.

Another school for thought is that dogs may roll in smelly things to 'advertise' what they have found to other dogs. In actuality, nobody really knows why dogs do this, but there are plenty of theories.

Dogs that roll in dog feces or their own may be seeking more attention and just doing something like that to get some sort of attention. That may be why you think he's feeling guilty about it. Negative attention is better than no attention, after all. You can try going outside with him if you are currently in the habit of letting him outside by himself.

If this is happening in your yard, you should pick up all the poop daily, so your dog can not find feces to roll in.

The best bet is to keep an eye on your dog, when it looks like he's about to start rubbing himself, distract him with a favorite toy or start to play with him. He'll forget all about the feces.

You could also try pairing something unpleasant with his actions of rolling in poop, such as squirting him with a water bottle. OR a blast from one of those personal safety device airhorns (your neighbors might not appreciate this), OR get a citronella spraying collar with a remote spray capability. Dogs strongly dislike the smell of citronella, and this spray comes from the collar, under their chin and up toward their nose.

Be absolutely sure that he is about to roll in the feces before you take aversive action. This could work against you. For example, if he is just sniffing for a place to urinate and you do any of these things, he may think that he is being punished for urinating (or thinking about urinating) and you may end up with house soiling problems!

If you are consistent, your dog will start to pair rolling in poop with an unpleasant experience and this may be enough to make him stop.

I hope this has been helpful and I wish you the best of luck!Please keep me posted and give that Weimaraner's lots of kisses for me!
Nicole.D.