# Rolling in poop

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-in-poop/55464>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 22, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-in-poop/55464 "2001-02-22T14:40:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Delila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Delila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delila)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-in-poop/55464/1 "2001-02-22T14:40:44Z")

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Why do dogs roll in dog poop? Also if I’m in the woods or near a lake and come across a dead animal (even fish) my dog wants to roll in it. What’s the scoop? (I have a husky/chow/shepherd mix in case that helps)

Thanks

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**Author:** ![andyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@andyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andyman)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-in-poop/55464/2 "2001-02-22T15:24:59Z")

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IIRC, they do it instictively to cover their scent.

I’m pretty sure there’s already a thread about it, but I haven’t found the correct phrasing for it yet. :o

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-in-poop/55464/3 "2001-02-22T15:37:11Z")

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Scent cover, yup. Better to smell like anything but a predator.

Transcript of actual forestland conversation:  
Deer 1: {startled} Hey! Look over there! Is that a wolf pack?  
Deer 2: {still grazing} Nope. It’s a dead fish.  
Deer 1: {confused} But there’s more than one, I see 'em.  
Deer 2: {looks up} Oh, yeah, OK, I see 'em. It’s a school of dead fish.  
Deer 1: {a little calmer} You sure?  
Deer 2: {back to grazing} Yup. Smell.  
Deer 1: {lifts nose to wind} {sniff, sniff}  
Deer 2: {smugly} Well?  
Deer 1: {returns to grazing} Your right, my bad. Dead fish.  
Deer 2: Thought so.

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2001, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-in-poop/55464/4 "2001-02-22T15:40:23Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Deer 1: {returns to grazing} Your right, my bad. Dead fish.

Deer don’t travel in schools. Otherwise Deer 1 would have known enough English to say “You’re right, …”

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**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2001, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-in-poop/55464/5 "2001-02-22T16:30:54Z")

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Yesh-- what animal would want to go outside and try to hunt something down smelling like people house? Poop is much less likely to scare off potential prey than FreshGladeVeryBerry scented aerosol and Stouffer’s-Italian-green-curry T.V. dinner and Spring-Vanilla-scented-flea-collar and mango-papaya-aussie-conditioning-dog-shampoo. Knew a very foo-foo indoor white cat who wore a ribbon (!) that, as soon as she got out the door, would roll around in the dirt and then go kill things (did a very good job of it).