Why Do Dogs Roll In Grass

Why Do Dogs Roll In Grass?

Last Updated: March 31, 2023

When you own a dog, its adorable gesture work as a magic cure to your everyday worries. 

Among many such adorable behaviors of your fur baby, you might often notice it rolling madly in the lawn which makes you wonder why do dogs roll in grass?

This is a normal dog thing, and there isn’t one but several reasons behind your dog’s addiction to rolling in the grass. 

While mostly, it’s just to get rid of an itch, cheerfully channelizing suppressed energy, or masking up scents, there can be other reasons you must know to decode your dog’s fetish with grass.

Let’s get started!


Why do dogs roll in grass?

The reason dogs roll in the grass is mostly harmless.

One of the most common reasons behind your dog rolling on its back in the lawn is to relieve an itch or to simply enjoy the moment.

Also, their love for grass is inherited from the wolves for masking up scents as an act of disguise hunting or marking territory by leaving its scent.

So, before judging your dog’s obsession with grass, remember, their sense of sniffing is way more advanced than ours. 

Don’t be surprised if you see your dog going mad with the smell of the same grass that you don’t like much.


Why is my dog rolling around in the grass?

There are 6 possible reasons your dog is rolling around in the grass. Let’s understand them in a bit more detail.

Your dog is simply happy and enjoying itself

This is one most common and relatable reason for your dog rolling in the grass, to be happy and cheerful, very similar to how you feel when lying in the lawn.

Rubbing their body against a bed of soft grass makes every dog happy, and it is a kind of relaxing therapy for the dogs to channel their energy in a cheerful way. 

So, next time you see your dog rolling in the grass in your backyard lawn or park don’t try to deter it and enjoy the view. 

Let your dog roll around as much as it wants to, to stay happy.

Your dog’s back is itchy

Do you sometimes notice your dog rolling on back in grass and wonder why? 

Well, there is no rocket science behind it.

Your dog is probably trying to relieve its back itching, which most dogs do.

However, if your fur baby is frequently rolling on its back in grass and carpets at home, or on the ground then it might be suffering from severe itch due to skin infection or allergy.

Ear itching and infections are also the reasons, you will find your dog rubbing its ears in the grass. 

In short, if you see your dog rubbing certain parts of its body frequently in the grass, that means it’s irritatingly itchy. 

To confirm, you must check their skin between the hair strands and front and back of their ears and if possible take your dog to a vet for a full-body diagnosis to understand the reason behind frequent itching.

Your dog is grooming itself

Don’t you think self-grooming every day at home is the best and the most cost-effective way to maintain personal hygiene? 

Your dog also thinks the same and does it by rolling on the green grass in the backyard or park.

We are sure you leave no stone unturned to keep your pawdorable doggo in shape, but sometimes they love rubbing their furry body against the grass to shrug off uneasiness due to dirt build-up, from inaccessible parts of their body like ears. 

Your dog is not liking its body odor

This mostly happens when you give your dog a thorough bath with a nice-smelling shampoo, and sadly your dog doesn’t like it. 

It doesn’t matter if your dog is a family pet, as, like most dogs, yours also is fond of its smell and tries to mask up the shampoo scent by rolling on the grass.

Sometimes you might get annoyed with your dog rubbing its body against foul-smelling grass, but what is odor for you is aromatic to your dog, which is normal dog-thing, and they like to wear it as you do with a bottle of classic fragrance.

Your dog is cloaking its smell

No matter if it’s a stray or your beloved family pooch, dogs just can’t get over their inherited traits from their ancestor wolves, and rolling in the grass to cloak its smell is one such primitive trait.

It’s a quality of hunting in disguise that all dogs do, even if it’s a pet, by sniffing the grass to detect different smells and then rolling over to put them on for masking up their own. 

This is how the dogs use grass as a hunting strategy to hide their scent and slowly advance towards the prey without giving them any clue.

Your dog is marking its territory to communicate with other animals

Dogs are possessive about their belongings, whether it is their toy, bed, or obviously you. 

So if you are wondering, why is my dog is rolling in the grass that might be to mark its territory with its scent.

Dogs communicate with each other through their body scent and urine markings. 

So when a dog senses the smell of a different dog on the grass, it rolls over immediately to mask the previous smell and leave its own as an act of marking its territory.

Even your pet dog can be rolling on an unknown grassy field for the same reason.


Should I stop my dog from rolling in the grass?

No, not at all. Let your dog roll in the grass as such activities make them happy and also lessen your effort of grooming a bit.

Rolling and rubbing their body over grass is a kind of relaxation therapy for your dog to stay happy and clean themselves from parasites hiding in the fur.

However, if you find your dog frequently scratching a particular part of its body or rubbing the same area over grass and carpets, again and again, you must check if any skin infection is the reason and try preventing your dog from frequently rolling in the grass to stop worsening the infection.

How to stop my dog from rolling in the grass?

You don’t need to stop your dog from rolling on the grass unless you use pesticides over the lawn and are concerned about your dog’s safety or sick of your dog’s obsession with foul-smelling grass and bringing the odor home.

To stop your dog from rolling in the dirty grass, start with simple training like stopping them with mild command and offering treats when they stop. 

Another effective trick is to drop a can of coins besides your pooch, busy rolling on the lawn to intervene in their action. Repeat this with a treat till your dog learn some manners.


Final Thoughts

The reason dogs roll in the grass is because they are happy and enjoying the moment.

But sometimes it also means that their back is itching and they can’t reach to scratch it with their legs, so they roll around in the grass to relieve the itch. 

However, if you find that your dog is frequently rolling in the grass, carpet, or ground to scratch a certain part of its body then it must be because of a severe itch and you should definitely take your dog to the vet. 

So, as long as you do not see anything unusual with your dog there is nothing to worry about. 

Let your dog enjoy its time out with you while you watch their cute adorable behavior.

What’s not so adorable is your dog digging your backyard. If you are having this issue with your dog check out Why Do Dogs Dig & How To Stop Them From Digging.


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