Content
- Information for the herd
- Marking
- Cover your own scent
- call for attention
- How to prevent dogs from rubbing themselves against dead animals?
- Why does a dog eat feces or corpses instead of rubbing itself?
Many dogs have this unpleasant behavior. We may think they are just a little disgusting, but behind this behavior there are reasons why your dog may need veterinary assistance relatively urgent.
Do you want to know why dogs rub themselves on corpses or why, sometimes, they eat them or, they eat feces found in the street? In this Animal Expert article, we'll explain why dogs perform this behavior and what we can do to avoid it. Find out below why dogs rub with dead animals:
Information for the herd
Among wolves, rubbing oneself over dead animals or other debris is a form of transmit information to the rest of the herd. When a wolf finds a new scent, sniffs it and then rolls over, it acquires the scent in its body, especially on its face and neck. When he returns to the rest of the herd, they greet him and investigate the new scent he brings and follow the trail to its origin. getting like this food in the form of carrion. Wolves and wild dogs can act as scavengers when prey population declines.
Some experts speculate that this is a typical behavior of some canids and fulfill the same function as for wolves. Although that doesn't explain why they rub themselves in faeces, which is only for dead animals.
Marking
Some dog lovers suggest that they do it for an entirely opposite reason. Instead of seeking to acquire the scent, they leave your own scent in the corpse or in the feces. Dog feces are bathed in pheromones that give a lot of information. When a dog rubs itself, it usually starts with the face, where they have some pheromone-producing glands.
This would answer the question "why does my dog rub itself on disgusting things" as it would explain why they sink into corpses and feces.
Cover your own scent
Another very considered option may be that the ancestors of modern dogs used odors to camouflage your own. Prey also has a highly developed sense of smell, so it can detect its predator if the wind is against it. So it could be that the first dogs mask your smell thus. There is evidence that modern wolves do the same.
On the other hand, when we bathe our dog with perfumed shampoos or applying perfumes, the animal does not feel comfortable, it is not itself and needs to acquire a more natural smell. For this same reason, a dog can take to bed the remains of garbage found at home.
call for attention
In some cases, a dog can have this behavior because like the attention you get of your caregiver when you do. It is a conditioned behavior and can be caused by stress, loneliness, boredom or lack of stimulation.
In extreme cases, when this behavior has been reinforced on several occasions (the dog rubs itself against dead animals and we pay attention to it) it can be appreciated and become a habit, something positive for them who cannot avoid repetition.
How to prevent dogs from rubbing themselves against dead animals?
First, we must understand that this is a natural and healthy behavior for the dog, however, if we want to avoid it, it is ideal to start teaching basic obedience commands, such as "come", "quiet" or "sitting". "If your dog has been properly trained using positive reinforcement (rewards, kind words and caresses) it will be easy for you to stop the dog before he gets dirty, using obedience as a control mechanism.
Once you have prevented the dog from rubbing itself with dead animals, it will be essential to remove the dog from the area and reward him for following instructions. Furthermore, we can further reinforce the fact of ignoring the corpses through games and subsequent petting.
Why does a dog eat feces or corpses instead of rubbing itself?
If your dog eats feces, the first thing to do is visit the veterinarian, therefore, one of the reasons why a dog ingests detritus from other animals is because it has a enzyme deficiency, because they cannot digest certain foods and develop nutritional deficiencies. An exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can also cause malabsorption, the dog will lose weight, have diarrhea, and will desperately try to eat anything to get nutrients.
If you have other animals At home, like cats, rabbits or rodents, it is very common for a dog to eat the feces. Rabbit and rodent feces are rich in vitamins, especially those in group B. If your dog is lacking in vitamins, the feed you use may not meet all your needs.
Another reason is that the animal has intestinal parasites such as worms. Intestinal parasites absorb the nutrients your dog gets from food. The stool acts as a natural dewormer. In any case, it is very important to visit the veterinarian and carry out an analysis to see if your dog correctly absorbs all the nutrients or if it has parasites.
