Why do dogs love dirt?

Much to our dismay, dogs love rolling around in the dirt and mud. As much as we love the smell of our newly washed and manicured pooches, unfortunately, they don't share the same interest.

There are many reasons that explain their love for dirt and mud, and its origins go back as far as dogs have been around.

Dogs would cover themselves in mud and any other foul-smelling odours to rub out their own smell whilst hunting. Successfully camouflaging themselves gave them a better chance of catching their prey.

Dogs may ‘mark their prey’ by rolling around on them to signify to other dogs that they caught and killed the animal.

When we wash our dogs, we wash away their unique scent which is their identifier to other dogs. Dogs may want to reclaim their scent by rolling around in grass, dirt, mud, and just about any foul-smelling thing they find in the yard or park.

Your dog's sense of smell is profoundly stronger than yours. Things like dirt, dead animals, garbage, and even cow manure provide a playground of senses for your dog.

Their love of dirt and muck is written into their DNA and can't be trained out of them. For this reason, it's important that you don't ever punish your dog for acting on its instinctual behaviour. Greyhounds as a breed often tend to prefer to stay cleaner than most and have minimal doggy odour too. So they may be the perfect choice for you if you prefer your pooch to stay sweet smelling most of the time!

Dogs give us undivided love and attention and we should provide them with the same respect – despite the offensive odours they may produce!