[englishvizsla]

Ferdie is nearly a year old and by now I've learnt that he has some fairly bad habits. However, one of the worst seems to be his desire to roll in the most smelly and disgusting thing he can find when we're out on his walks.

He has a particular love of horse manure, which he will eat as well as roll in, and also the remains of any dead animals he manages to sniff out! The other day it was what was left of a dead fox, and today I didn't even see what it was, but needless to say by the time we got back off his walk he STANK and has just had to endure his second bath of the week!! He's now looking very sorry for himself and is confined indoors until he's dried off.

The problem is he has such a good nose that the minute he picks up a scent he's off, and by the time we've realised what it is and chased after him he's already busy covering himself in whatever horrible thing it is he's found. Then when he's finished he stands there looking very proud of himself as if he's just discovered the latest Lynx aftershave and is now ready to impress the ladies!

I just wondered if anyone else had the same problem with their v, and also what makes them want to cover themselves in this stuff? Is it a way to try and disguise their own scent when they're hunting? Also any advice on what we can try to do to stop this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Crazy Kian]

Oh an easy way to stop them from doing that is to keep them indoors :

Seriously... Kian will do similar, but not to that extent. He has picked up road kil...YUK...try taking that away from him, not fun.

speaking of, I think he will need a bath soon, he is sort of smelly these days. ;D

 

[DragonTheRevolutionary]

thats one bath too many, we give ours a bath every couple of months, there's like no point when i give em a bath then the first thing they do is go outside and roll in the dust, lol they like to lie on the dirt sometimes when the day is slow

 

[sarahaf]

Yes, Rosie found a dead bird leg, grabbed it lightning quick while on leash--I think also a squashed frog? And she's only 4 months, early in her career. But now you have me worried, because she often comes back from daycare (where they play outdoors) smelling bad. I thought it was just the van she rides in with other dogs, but now I'm hoping she hasn't been rolling in dead animals--eww...

 

[1notenough]

you can try the oyster test. give her one shucked oyster if she eats it then you are out of luck.If she dosent eat it then she will roll in that stinky thing.OR not. then you will know if you have a roller or not.I tried this with duke and riley.Riley ate the smelly thing.Duke would have nothing more to do with it other than to have it pressed into his neck.AS soon as he dropped it he was getting lower and turning his head.