My Puppy rubs her head on sick stuff!

My 3 month old (about) APBT pup is always trying to rub her head/face/neck on disgusting things whether it be another dogs feces, some unidentifiable slop, or dead things.

For example, today I took her to the park where there is a creek too and I saw her lay down next to the bank and noticed she was rubbing her face into the ground so I walked over to see what she was doing, and there lay a BIG dead water snake that was in 3 or 4 different peices, blood/guts and all. And my little girl is rubbing all over it. So I ended up taking her home and giving her a bath with puppy shampoo and had to actually buy her a new collar, because after washing her old one TWICE with different detergents in steaming hot water, it still had this disgusting snake/dead fish smell to it.

Then about an hour ago she went to another park and I caught her rubbing her face onto dried up dog poo.

Is this normal for puppies to do? Is there anything I can do to make her stop? (i mean other than grabbing her when i get catch her)

Thanks

-c10

 

Its normal dog behavior, they are trying to blend in with their environment, its a survival tool from the days they were wild that they still use from time to time.

 

Ive only seeing my dog rub his head on grass a lot.

 

Yup its normal! My Apbt doesnt do but my GSD will rub in anything and not just her head her whole body. Its quite gross but thats just being a dog...

 

My boys do it. Mercedes doesnt. Harley rubbed in rotten catfish guts once. I could hardly stand to bathe him. I have never smelled anything more disgusting.

 

Aaaah, yes. Another Inductee into the Smelly Stank Nappy Grody Dead Things Lovers Club.

Welcome. The only advice I can give you is hope she grows out of it, which probably won't happen entirely. Our senior pittie Natas never has, she thrives on that which makes we humans gag. Here is a valuable tid bit: get a heavy duty trashcan with a latch. And if you have a baby, keep those poopie diapers on LOCK DOWN. I speak the truth, from experience. My husband turned six shades of green once when Natas got ahold of one by breaking into the trash, tore it apart, and plastered the kitchen with it.

 

LoL Yeah it's really gross. When I read the one about the catfish guts, I could almost smell that smell. I really hope she grows out of it, I mean rubbing her face into grass, dirt, gravel, even mud wouldn't be so bad, but dead animals and feces.... ewwww :eek:

 

my dog rubs his body when i take him to this park on shrubs and on grass, but not on dead animals or other animal feces.

 

my puppy only rubs her face on the couch




thats nasty

 

dogs, before becoming domesticated used to do it to mask their own scents which would enable them to camaflauge(sp?) into their surroundings, to throw off their scent, in case of prey.

The theory goes, they are just repeating this characteristic from long ago.
Yeah, can be pretty gross, huh?!!!!:eek:

 

OH, Don't worry! She won't let you down! She might turn out to be the 007 of all nappy seek and destroy missions...

 

Although we think it's nasty to do this kind of stuff, I also find it to be really fascinating how they would do things to survive, and think its also amazing how different traits and behaviors are like passed on through genetics and instinct

-c10

 

I agree. Animals never cease to amaze me!

guess that's why I decided to work with them for a living. =VERY satisfying!

 

Not to go off topic, but can I ask what exactly you do for a living?


I'm fascinated by all animals basically, but I'm definitly a dog person. I still am undecided about which career path I want to take, although I think I would LOVE to be a veterinarian, yet I am not sure if I'd be able to handle all those years of school.

I was thinking a vet tech would be a great job for me, but after talking to a few veterinary technicians, they basically told me they have to live paycheck to paycheck and barely get by. Now I'm assuming this all depends on where you live, size of your home, how much money you need to enjoy life, etc etc.

 

No problem. I work for a vet, and have for a few years now, as a tech, however, due to a recent motorcycle accident, (bike was totalled by a lady who blew a stop sign) and the injuries I sustained, my work restrictions were such that I could not lift more than 10 pounds, which limited, greatly, my work load/choices, and I've pretty much been currently working with the smaller animals at our boarding facility. I"m considering, now that I'm cleared medically, joining the 24 hour emergency hospital, but am still undecided due to having to work 3rd shift and crazy chaotic hours...so for now, still doing animal care, but in a different way, so to speak. Perhaps will come spring....

Animal care, in all its aspects, is a very rewarding career. I still manage to get too emotional over the PTS's and dislike that part of the job, but animals, I know, will always continue to intrigue me. I love 'em.

and yeah, up around this way, the pay sux, but for me, I'd rather be happy and it isn't about the $. I took a 45% cut in pay for this job.

 

My sisters' APBT likes to rub all in my APBTs' feces. It is her boyfriend, though. Who hasn't done that for their BF? Completely normal...:p

 

Must have missed that memo! What have I been missing. To think, all this time my husband's poo has just gone to waste down the toilet.

 

We had a dead deer on the road next to my house and my two girls would constantly run from the house and lay on it coming back smelling like death.
I guess its something they do.

 

Azul likes to roll around in cow sh#t. When ever I take him to the field to play fetch he rolls around in the cow sh#t, but only the fresh ones would do for him. It's kind of funny because he hates me giving him a bath and it seems he knows what's going to happen because he starts to whine when we start heading home.

 

My Uncle (a career military/sentry dog trainer) told me years ago; that all dogs are wolves/wild-dogs at heart, and a wolf in search of a meal would rather smell like anything (even poop) but a wolf. He believes that almost every behavior that he relied upon as a dog trainer, could be traced back to the hunter's instinct and their wolf/wild-dog heritage.

All three of my dogs do it to one extent or another, and they seem to especially love dead frogs, the riper the better!