Why do dogs roll in stuff?

I was going to do a blog entry this morning, but things happened:  Cliff had to go by the clinic about a couple of things, so of course I wanted to go along, because he's the only one who lets me tag along that way.  If he says "I'm going," I say, "Wait for me, it'll only be a minute," because I don't care WHERE.  Then I hunt for my shoes, take Gabe out to potty before we go, comb my hair, put on different clothes.  So it's always more like 10 or 15 minutes.  I wouldn't blame Cliff if he decided to sneak away without telling me.  No, he wouldn't do that.  I'm the one who cooks for him, so he wouldn't want to make me mad.

This morning I was inspired to blog about Gabe, since Cliff and I spotted him rolling in something in the pasture; I called him, and his head and neck were shiny with some sort of stinking-to-high-heaven corruption.  I don't understand what a dog gets out of this, but I know Gabe loves it, and doesn't understand why I won't let him smell the way he wants to.  One day recently I left his bath water in the kitchen just in case he found the stink again, which he did a short hour later.  He hates baths, and it seems like he would figure out he wouldn't have to have so many baths if he'd quit rolling in stuff.  I did look on the Internet to see why they do what they do, though:

"Many believe it's instinctual behavior, harkening back to the days when your dog's wild ancestors would mask their scent to help them sneak up on their prey. Wolves, for example, have been observed rolling in animal carcasses or the droppings of plant-eating animals, to cover up their own smell during the hunt."

I'm don't think Gabe is the sharpest knife in the drawer, but if we can break him of a couple of suicidal stunts he pulls, he'll suit me fine.  He knows "sit" and "stay" and "down" and "come" (if he wants to).    I recently taught him to "sit up pretty", and used treats to reward him; I use pieces of his regular dog food as treats, since he likes them.   If he things there might be a treat in store, he'll just randomly run through the few commands he knows in about five seconds, ignoring my orders.  This dog is SO food-oriented.  Here's an example of how he shames me when I'm trying to show him off.  And don't be making fun of my big feet.



See?  I started out telling him to sit, but he "sat up pretty" instead.  Next, with me still saying Sit, he lays down.  Of course, when nobody is watching, and nobody is recording, he goes through his paces perfectly.  Just like children do.

Yesterday one of my granddaughters, Monica, brought her dog Suzie along.  She's an older dog, but after a couple of hours of getting acquainted, she and Gabe had a great time.  Poor Gabe was worn out last night.  When Suzie first got here, she spent some time letting Gabe know who was boss.  This was really good for him, since he hasn't had a lot of experience getting to interact with other dogs.  It was great fun watching Suzie pee, then Gabe trying to cover her scent with his pee... that went on all day long.  There is a video of Suzie and Gabe frolicking, but it's a Facebook video, so I can't share it on the blog.  

On another note, I have a Facebook friend in Kentucky who goes to bluegrass festivals.  She's told me so much about them, I really want to attend one.  It sounds like the best people-watching event ever.  There are no festivals nearby, but there are several in the state.  Two of them will be going on at the same time our local fair happens, and we don't want to miss our chance to drive a tractor in the parade.  Gabe might even get to join us.  

I hope to be back tomorrow, perhaps with a topic of more substance.  

Peace!