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By Liz O'Connell
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A new dog owner was in for an unpleasant surprise after realizing her dog who was being adorable turned out he was getting into something he very much the opposite.
In an April 4 TikTok video posted by user @fritz_the_emotional_dog, a dog owner started filming her dog hanging around diftwood at the beach. She found it adorable as he stuck his head in between pieces, digging for something. She was curious about what he found, but after inspection, it wasn't too adorable.
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As a first-time dog owner, she didn't expect this, but it turns out he was rolling around in something dead in the sound. And he could not get enough. No matter how many times he rubbed his body against it, he wanted more.
Her caption asked viewers: "Adorable?"
No amount of asking was going to get him off as the dog twisted and contorted his body to get as much of the smell on him. Gross for us, but for dogs, this is what they live for.
Newsweek reached out to @fritz_the_emotional_dog via TikTok for additional information.
The TikTok video amassed 147,800 views and 1,673 likes as of Wednesday. Viewers knew exactly what was happening as soon as they saw the dog rolling around.
"I was screaming,'Stop!!' and 'No!' the whole time you calmly walked up laughing at the event," said one user.
Another added: "I knew immediately he was rolling in something dead. At least it was super adorable, that always helps."
A third person wrote: "You learned a lesson that day."
Reasons Behind the Roll
As much as owners would like to think it is rare for dogs to roll on their backs over a dead animal, dirt, or poop, it is quite normal. But the reasons why might vary from dog to dog.
One theory, and often considered the most likely, is that dogs are trying to mask their scent, according to PetMD. Mimicking their wolf ancestors and hiding their scent will help them sneak up on prey. But dogs likely aren't seeking prey. Instead, dogs could do this out of ingrained instincts in their bloodline.
Another reason why dogs might do this is because they want to "show off" to other dogs that they have found prey as the animals will be able to smell it on them. On the other hand, their scent will be left on the dead animal, signaling to others that it is their property or territory. Or, dogs simply just love the smell.
But, for owners, the smell couldn't be any more annoying. To avoid your dog rolling in something, try fencing in your yard so they can roam freely without worry. Owners can also work on improving their dogs' recall skills or keep their dogs on a leash.
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