Most dogs love to roll around on the grass during walks. One moment it was trotting along fine, the next it saw something interesting and took off and started wriggling on my back.
It’s normal for a dog to roll around on the grass, but as a pet parent, you may wonder why your dog does it, and you may get a little irritated if your dog is rolling over something unpleasant. I might put it away.
There are many reasons why dogs roll around on the grass, but the most common is that it just feels good. The texture of the grass is bristly, making it the perfect material for loosening wounds, giving you peace and relaxation. But it’s possible that you’re rubbing your body against something toxic or unpleasant, or that there’s something in particular that causes itching, or that you’re allergic to grass, and rubbing it could make things worse. In that case, the activity must be discontinued.
Read below to better understand why dogs roll around on the grass and whether it’s a problem.
6 main reasons why dogs roll on the grass
1. hide the smell
Grass contains many odors made up of the grass itself and its surrounding environment. Research on the subject suggests that one reason dogs frolic in them is to mask their scent with grass and ground scents.1 This is a throwback to the survival instinct that helped our wild ancestors avoid predators and rivals, or sneak up on prey.
2. hide the smell
While masking their scent with another scent to protect themselves from something unpleasant, they also roll in the grass to get rid of the unpleasant smell that is given to them. For example, shampoos and sprays smell nice to us, but dogs’ noses and olfactory systems are much more powerful than humans. These types of products can be offensive or unpleasant to them. A good roll in the grass will solve this problem.
3. relieve itching
A nice, luscious patch of grass is to dogs what a loofah and a quick massage are to us humans. Dogs often have itchy or tight spots that they can’t reach. Properly rounding your back and sides will help relieve itching and reduce itching.
4. skin condition
If your dog has dermatological problems, rolling on the grass will be more vigorous, frequent, and for a long time. The more your dog feels itchy or irritated skin, the more he will roll over to try and relieve the itch. If you notice this pattern, have your dog examined by your veterinarian as an underlying skin disease or allergy may be the cause of the excessive rolling. Rolling on the grass due to allergies is usually accompanied by other symptoms such as skin redness or inflammation, hair loss or thinning, hives, and sneezing. The problem is that they often react to grass as well, so by scratching the itch you’re making the situation worse.
5. Communication (area marking)
Dogs, especially males, like to mark their territory to make other dogs aware of their presence. Dogs communicate through smell, and you’re probably familiar with urine marking, where dogs mark multiple locations with small amounts of urine. One way dogs leave behind their own scent or pick up the scent of another dog in front of them is by rolling them over or rubbing their backs. They exhibit the same behavior both at home on their beds and toys and outdoors in the backyard or in random grassy areas or areas in the park or forest.
6. relaxation
Your dog often loves to laze around outdoors. The rough surface of grass has a soothing and relaxing effect. If you observe your dog’s attitude and behavior, you’ll notice that he rubs his back, rolls around, and seems generally happy. Because, yes! They feel safe, fun, and secure, and who doesn’t want to celebrate and enjoy that?
conclusion
Most of the time, rolling around on the grass is a cute behavior for dogs. It’s rewarding as a pet owner to see your dog happy and enjoying life. Of course, it’s your choice whether you let them do this or not. Because what they come across may be stinky and disgusting (to us), but it can be fun to them. In such cases, it is recommended to end or redirect the behavior, since after returning home you will need to take a bath to remove the odor.
Proper reminding is a great way to discourage your dog from participating in the activity. If you are concerned that your dog has been exposed to something toxic or dangerous, contact your veterinarian for advice.
Featured image credit: Raindog Photography, Shutterstock
