“Anybody who doesn’t know what soap tastes like, never washed a dog.” — Franklin P. Jones
One look outside, and you know that Spring is finally here! Everything is greener-- or orange-r, purple-r, yellow-er.....you get my drift. Nature is blooming, and it's stunning! Now for a true Spring story: When I was at the dog park the other day, one of our dog handlers was admiring the amount of lush, green grass that was there, rather than the wide expanse of mainly dirt that we usually see. Add into that the blue, cloudless skies, the California sunshine, and it made for some beautiful dog photos and, more importantly, a perfect backdrop for playing outside. Fast forward a few minutes, and I was throwing a ball for a couple of our labradoodles, who expect that you will NOT keep them waiting. Suddenly, we spotted Bella, our sweet, very WHITE mini golden doodle, rolling around in grass. She was having the time of her life, but had found the one spot in the park with a tiny patch of wet grass. Can you guess what I'm going to say next? If you guessed that our Bella was now green, you are correct. Insert panicked dog handler here. A green dog? First, confess to clients with a text and photo: “Dear Mom and Dad-- I was naughty and rolled in the wet grass, so I'm a little green. Sorry! Shawn will try to clean me up.”
One look outside, and you know that Spring is finally here! Everything is greener-- or orange-r, purple-r, yellow-er.....you get my drift. Nature is blooming, and it's stunning! Now for a true Spring story: When I was at the dog park the other day, one of our dog handlers was admiring the amount of lush, green grass that was there, rather than the wide expanse of mainly dirt that we usually see. Add into that the blue, cloudless skies, the California sunshine, and it made for some beautiful dog photos and, more importantly, a perfect backdrop for playing outside. Fast forward a few minutes, and I was throwing a ball for a couple of our labradoodles, who expect that you will NOT keep them waiting. Suddenly, we spotted Bella, our sweet, very WHITE mini golden doodle, rolling around in grass. She was having the time of her life, but had found the one spot in the park with a tiny patch of wet grass. Can you guess what I'm going to say next? If you guessed that our Bella was now green, you are correct. Insert panicked dog handler here. A green dog? First, confess to clients with a text and photo: “Dear Mom and Dad-- I was naughty and rolled in the wet grass, so I'm a little green. Sorry! Shawn will try to clean me up.”
Luckily, we have the sweetest and most understanding clients, and they were not worried about their precious fur baby being a little green. As a matter of fact, Bella's dad said that as a child, he'd wanted a green dog, so perhaps it was fate! Well, I'm happy to make a childhood dream come true, but I still took some baby wipes to Miss Bella. They do help, by the way. That bright green faded to pastel green. And with all of the rubbing down, Bella thought she was getting a doggy massage, so it was a win all around. But now on to the bigger question and the actual topic of this blog: Why do dogs like to roll in grass?
There are a number of reasons dogs have an affinity for grass-rolling, not the least of which is to get rid of an itch. Think about it: they have no ability to scratch their own backs, and they can't exactly ask a friend to do it. Grass can be a bit abrasive, so it can serve to give dogs that “aaaaaaahhhhh” moment of relief if they have an itch. So satisfying.
Dogs have a very keen sense of smell. If they are feeling disdain at their own smell, or the grass has a smell that they find especially pleasant, then rolling around in the grass is the solution. Stinky dog? No problem, now I smell like grass! Grass smells amazing? Good news, I now smell like this yummy grass! Makes total sense to a canine. I mean, who needs shampoo, right? Now, if your dog is obsessively rolling in grass, you should probably get him checked out to make sure he doesn't have a skin condition. Otherwise....you know, just keep the wet wipes handy.
Of course, dogs are sometimes just simple creatures-- grass just feels good. So, rolling around in the grass doesn't have to have some cosmic significance, but rather just a soft, cool place to relax in. I mean, how many times have I done that same thing? Well.....I don't roll in the grass. I'm not an animal! But laying back in the grass while soaking up the beautiful weather? Yeah. Love that.
We all came from somewhere, and dogs are descended from wolves, who-- you guessed it-- also roll in grass. Wolves find a new smell in the grass, and roll around in it to get the smell on their body. They can take the scent back to their pack, and can even find the spot again from the smell on their body. If they roll around in the smells of their prey, it can make it easier to get close to the prey and secure dinner. Hey, a wolf's gotta eat, right? Luckily, dogs are happy with kibble.
Although it's a bit messy, rolling in grass makes dogs so happy. I say we let 'em, y'all, because their joy is contagious. That's what wet wipes and shampoo are for, right? Happy Spring!
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-like-to-roll-in-grass
https://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/care/why-do-dogs-roll-in-grass
There are a number of reasons dogs have an affinity for grass-rolling, not the least of which is to get rid of an itch. Think about it: they have no ability to scratch their own backs, and they can't exactly ask a friend to do it. Grass can be a bit abrasive, so it can serve to give dogs that “aaaaaaahhhhh” moment of relief if they have an itch. So satisfying.
Dogs have a very keen sense of smell. If they are feeling disdain at their own smell, or the grass has a smell that they find especially pleasant, then rolling around in the grass is the solution. Stinky dog? No problem, now I smell like grass! Grass smells amazing? Good news, I now smell like this yummy grass! Makes total sense to a canine. I mean, who needs shampoo, right? Now, if your dog is obsessively rolling in grass, you should probably get him checked out to make sure he doesn't have a skin condition. Otherwise....you know, just keep the wet wipes handy.
Of course, dogs are sometimes just simple creatures-- grass just feels good. So, rolling around in the grass doesn't have to have some cosmic significance, but rather just a soft, cool place to relax in. I mean, how many times have I done that same thing? Well.....I don't roll in the grass. I'm not an animal! But laying back in the grass while soaking up the beautiful weather? Yeah. Love that.
We all came from somewhere, and dogs are descended from wolves, who-- you guessed it-- also roll in grass. Wolves find a new smell in the grass, and roll around in it to get the smell on their body. They can take the scent back to their pack, and can even find the spot again from the smell on their body. If they roll around in the smells of their prey, it can make it easier to get close to the prey and secure dinner. Hey, a wolf's gotta eat, right? Luckily, dogs are happy with kibble.
Although it's a bit messy, rolling in grass makes dogs so happy. I say we let 'em, y'all, because their joy is contagious. That's what wet wipes and shampoo are for, right? Happy Spring!
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-like-to-roll-in-grass
https://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/care/why-do-dogs-roll-in-grass
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