Do you know why your dog needs to roll in mud after a bath?

There’s just something about rolling in a wet mud puddle that makes their day.

There are three main reasons for this….

1. Dogs don’t sweat - sitting in a puddle of water or mud provides them with a cooling relief. 

2. It camouflages their scent - Dogs like to smell like nothing and rolling around in a puddle of mud or water does exactly this. 

3. It’s really fun - Jumping, running and moving are what your dog loves, so this is a pretty big reason. 

So we know why they are drawn to a puddle, but the main question is, why does it happen straight after a bath?

Washing and grooming are part of your dog's regular routine because we want them to smell good, especially when they live inside with us. ‘Smelling good’ is subjective though because your dog has other ideas about what this means!

If the shampoo used has a strong perfume or cologne fragrance, your dog probably hates it. Their natural instinct is to get rid of this foreign smell, and if there is a muddy puddle nearby, they will run straight to it and roll around, which neutralises their scent. 

Don’t forget, dogs need to smell like ‘themselves’ to form social bonds with other dogs. Their sense of smell allows them to decide if the other dogs are friendly, scared or just not in the mood for a chat. 

While our dogs jumping in a puddle of mud isn’t ideal for us humans (especially after we’ve given them a bath), it’s just a part of their natural instinct and it’s why we love them so much.

Thanks to our friends at Pet Circle if you enquire about a pet via PetRescue, you can get $25* off when you spend more than $50 on pet supplies and a free Vet Pet Plan. Learn more.

PetRescue and Pet Circle are working together to create a better world where every pet is safe and loved as a valued member of the family.

Banner image via Pexels (Gabe).